Among the Dead
by Tazmy
Summary: [Complete] The team, Carson, and Lorne are trapped in an underground bunker with a possible killer on the loose.
1. Graveyard

A/N: With thanks to KodiakBearCountry, Sholio, and angw for the beta:) Especially Kodiak who put(s) up with all my whinning and kept (keeps) me motivated.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate: Atlantis.

A/N: I have finished writing this story so you can count on six chapters. Mostly a team/whump fic.

Spoilers: Phantoms, Conversion, and The Long Goodbye

**Chapter 1**

Rodney stuck his head between his legs and concentrated on breathing slowly. He hated this world, hated working on it, hated breathing it in. The planet was a giant tomb. In a galaxy where large colonies were rare, they had already found hundreds of thousands of skeletons is a short radius. Some had been stabbed, others had had their skulls bashed in, all of them had been carrying weapons. If anyone had survived the great battle, they were long since gone. The world was now covered in moss that was more blue than green with a texture akin to sheep's skin.

The smell of death had long since been carried away by the winds, but Rodney imagined he could smell it. He had visited too many places, seen too much death not to know the smell. His senses remembered, expecting it to be there, nauseating him down to the core. He shivered in disgust, wishing the smell would go away. Wishing that when he misstepped he didn't hear the crunch of more remains.

"Welcome to Enma. Please enjoy your stay. Welcome to Enma. Please enjoy your stay."

Rodney peeked above his arms at the 'woman' who had spoken. Her hair was long, reaching down to her thighs in braided patterns. She made no sign of recognizing the death around her. Her hazel eyes looked from left to right but never found any of them. Since their arrival, she had said nothing else. Occasionally her figure would fade in and then out, or her words would break up in static. Other than that, the hologram was so real he could almost reach out and expect to touch her, but her words, though human sounding, were too distant from all the death.

"Will someone shut that off already?" he shouted back to his team of scientists that had been running surveys of the technology for the last twenty hours. Rodney had been the one to accidentally activate the hologram some twenty minutes previous, but had had no luck in deactivating it.

Zelenka, who despised being off world in good circumstances and was positively livid at having to work on this world, was racing back and forth between platforms, trying to remove moss and vines as he mixed and matched wires.

"What do you think we have been trying to do? Hmmm…? And does it help that you are sitting on your lazy rear? No. I should think a genius such as yourself would realize that that is perhaps the least helpful thing to be doing." In his tirade, he accidentally kicked one of the skeletons, shivered, and then drew back. "That's it! I'm taking a break." He moved away from the platform, careful to walk over any further remains. "You can do this without me!" Then he was muttering in Czech, and though Rodney did understand what was being said, he chose to ignore it.

Relinquishing a handkerchief from his vest pocket he placed it over his mouth. A moment later he pulled it away, holding it out to Rodney as if expecting him to take it. "There is no smell here, yet all your complaining has convinced me there is. Has anyone told you how impossible you are to work with? You will drive me mad!"

"Yes, well not before you do the same to me. Now, if you're not going to work, can you at least be quiet?" Rodney inadvertently glanced down at the bones and then shivered. The sooner they were out of this place…

"Welcome to Enma. Please enjoy your stay."

Rodney glared at the hologram, groaning. Then he watched his men, who all looked equally as tired and mortified. He sighed deeply. He hadn't been resting that long, but they had been working for a while and everyone was tired. He knew Zelenka normally enjoyed arguing with him, but even Rodney could sense the frustration rising in the chief engineer, and if Zelenka wasn't handling things well, neither was anyone else. Rodney hated to admit it, but he fell into that category as well.

With a great deal of effort, he stood up, brushing the dirt from his trousers. "Alright, everyone find a stopping place. We're not going to crack all of this today. Well I might, but you won't, and there's no point working yourself to exhaustion. Head back to Atlantis and get some rest. We'll reconvene at 0530."

Closing his laptop, Rodney gathered his belongings and stepped out into the main village. It was amazing how the world could seem so peaceful and yet so chilling. For all the technology they had found here, he'd be glad when it was time to finally leave.

"_Rodney!"_ Teyla's scream came over the radio causing him to jump.

"What's wrong? What is it?"

"_We are approximately two kilometers from you mountain side."_

Rodney looked down. Most of the teams had stuck close to the village, but three dots were where Teyla had indicated. "What's happening?" He was already running toward them, motioning Lorne to follow. By the time they reached the end of the clearing, Carson had joined them as well.

"_The Colonel and Ronon are trapped in some sort of forcefield. John is unconscious and injured."_

It was amazing how quickly adrenaline could take away exhaustion. Rodney forgot all about the skeletons and weariness, pushing himself to move as fast as possible through the lilac trees. Why did John always have to get injured at the worst times?

"_The computer is demanding some sort of access code,"_ Teyla explained on the other end. _"The colonel made the mistake of touching the field and was thrown back. Ronon caught him before he hit his head, but he was shaking before he passed out."_

In the middle of the blue and green field, Rodney saw a square object lifted off the ground, covered in moss, grass and dirt. Although he saw no signs of his teammates, he did see them on the sensor. They had arrived.

Rodney looked down the open hatch and immediately noticed the thin steps that wended their way through the surface. Even with Lorne's P-90 light he couldn't see the end. It was amazing Teyla's call had come through at all.

"We're on our way down now. Don't touch anything!" He was out of breath from the jog over here. His shirt was wet against his back, drenched with sweat. The thought of Sheppard needing him, however, was enough to pull him forward. He took hold of a rusty rail and started his way down.

He nearly fell twice, cursing at whatever engineer had thought to make the steps so narrow. It felt like he had been walking forever before he finally saw a pink light below.

He reached the ground where Teyla was anxiously pacing, a fuchsia glow shining on her from an open door. Beyond that door, Rodney saw Sheppard and Ronon trapped behind a forcefield. Sheppard lay on the floor while Ronon paced, clearly frustrated at being able to do nothing. Beside them was a third figure—an exact match to the hologram back at the village.

"Your name and clearance code have not been verified. Please wait for security to arrive. Any attempt to escape will be met with lethal force. Your name and clearance code…"

"It has been repeating since we arrived," Teyla explained.

"Don't you worry, we'll get them out of there," Carson assured everyone, watching his patient carefully.

"We?" Rodney asked incredulously, pulling out his laptop. "I believe you mean _I_ will get them out of there. You just do your medical voodoo thing."

Rodney began searching for the nearest console to plug into. Most of the controls seemed to fall just beyond the forcefield and well out of Rodney's current reach. But there was a single console attached to a stone wall that he was able to access. Saying a prayer that he didn't accidentally get his teammate killed, he connected the wire with one arm. Nothing catastrophic happened, but on his screen appeared new information.

Meanwhile, he kept an attentive ear to Carson, who was asking questions about Sheppard's condition.

"Any attempt to escape will be met with lethal force. Your name and clearance code…"

It was hard to think with that stupid hologram constantly repeating itself, and it was lucky that he had spent the last few hours getting to know the strange technology or he would have had to decipher all of this from scratch. As it was, the technology ran on the same fundamentals as back at the village, and if he crossed the right wires and sent the right message then… "This should do it!" he announced. "I suggest everyone stand back, just in case."

Closing his eyes he pressed red wire to blue. The hologram blinked, tilted her head, then phased out before phasing back in. This time she had a fake smile, the worry behind it showing. Her hair was frazzled, with many of the braids only half tied. Whoever had recorded this message had been terrified.

"Thank the Ancestors that you have arrived! Welcome to Refuge: Enma's last hope during dark times. We will do all we can to keep you safe during the next hundred cycles. Remember, you are our last hope for survival. Do not forget home. Do not forget Enma."

The fuchsia field disintegrated. Rodney and Teyla didn't hesitate; they raced to their teammate's side, each grabbing one of his hands before Carson motioned Rodney out of the way.

"You can watch over him all you want later, for now I need to have a look."

Not wanting to watch his friend lying so still, Rodney turned his attention to the bunker. Now that the forcefield had dropped, he could see they were in the entrance to a grand room, easily the size of a gymnasium. A giant computer with four consoles took up the immediate left corner, right by where Rodney now stood. Toward the far left side of the room were a number of blue, reclining chairs facing one another in a half-circle around a large fireplace. The middle of the room was mostly empty, but attached to the high ceiling was a chandelier lit by lilac flames. Judging by the occasional glitch, Rodney realized they too must be holograms. Toward the middle right side of the room was a large dance floor, surrounded by three tables, each with four chairs around them. On the far side of the floor was a square instrument lying on its side. It looked like a cross between a piano and a harp.

"Some bunker." Lorne whistled loudly, gazing in awe at the furnishings.

Then they both turned their attention to Sheppard, who was still lying unconscious. Rodney was relieved to note that Beckett didn't look too worried.

"He'll be alright; I think. Should come to any moment now."

Reassured, Rodney felt the weariness catch back up to him. Falling back against the stone wall, he breathed in deeply. Surrounded though he was by advanced computers, he wanted little more than to sleep.

He felt Teyla's arm on his shoulder. He peeked through his closed eyelids long enough to see her worried expression. "Are you okay, Rodney?"

He nodded. "Yeah, just a bit tired. I must be getting old; twenty hour days never used to bother me."

"Aye, you've been working yourself too hard. Been telling you that for a while, haven't I?"

Rodney groaned. He hadn't meant for Beckett to hear that. "Hey, I'm not the patient lying on the ground right now. Concentrate on berating him for touching alien forcefields."

"I can berate the both of you, thank you very much. Now, I don't think we should try carrying him up the steps. Probably best to just wait for him to wake up on his own."

Not wanting to give Carson any more lecturing fodder, Rodney pulled away from the wall and started examining the technology. After ten minutes of getting nowhere, and Sheppard still remaining unconscious, he was ready to kick the wall and call it a day. Teyla, sensing his weariness, pulled him away.

"This place will be here tomorrow. You need a break."

Rodney didn't argue. They moved toward the sitting area, where he noticed a small circular knob on each chair. There were three options spelled out in the alien language, which Rodney translated on his laptop as bed, chair, and couch. Shrugging, he turned the knob toward bed and stepped back as the chair phased out, replaced by a bed complete with pillow and a scratchy wool-like blanket.

Ronon, noticing the change, picked up the Colonel and carried him toward the others. Immediately upon resting him on the bed, the fireplace flared to life, glowing with the same purple flame Rodney had seen in the chandelier. Strangely enough, Rodney could feel its warmth. Moving to one of the recliners, Rodney slumped down into its cushions and closed his eyes. He could sleep peacefully here, he thought, though his mind was too busy trying to understand how holograms could give off heat and whether or not they would run into any other unanticipated traps.

There was a moan from beside him, causing him to bolt upright. Sheppard's head turned slowly left and then right. Carson was standing over his patient, holding tight to his hand. "It's alright, Colonel. You're okay."

"What happened?" John asked, blinking his eyes until they focused.

"Got yourself into trouble like you always do. Down in a deep bunker nonetheless, where we hadn't much of a hope of getting you up. You'll be okay though, no lasting damage."

Sheppard moved to sit up, holding his head as though suffering from a grand migraine. He nodded slightly to Lorne and Rodney, recognizing their presence for the first time.

"I'm beginning to really hate this world," Sheppard mumbled. Rodney had to agree.

Then Sheppard must have noticed the chandelier because his expression changed to that of wonder. Immediately he perked up, taking in his surroundings. "Whoa."

"It's apparently where people sought refuge from the war outside," Rodney explained. "At least that's what we've managed to figure out so far. We haven't explored beyond this room yet." He motioned toward the two doors, both against the far wall.

"Nothing on the life signs detector, though," Lorne quickly interjected. "Ronon's been keeping watch for us."

He motioned toward Ronon, who sat on the ground watching both doors at the same time as if expecting something to come crawling out of them.

"How long?" Sheppard asked.

"Just a few minutes. You did give us a good scare though, Sir."

John stepped out from the bed, which immediately turned back into a recliner. Jumping away in surprise, John watched it for a moment as though expecting it to change once more. At first, Rodney was worried that John was about to suggest exploring some more, but then Rodney saw that his friend looked just as tired, if not more so, than all of Rodney's scientists combined. "Alright, let's head back and check in with Atlantis. We can explore all we want tomorrow."

"Aye, they can explore all they want. You on the other hand will be coming with me to the infirmary. Lord knows what that field could have done to you that I'm not picking up on."

"I'm fine, Carson. Really," but there was little spirit to his words.

The team made their way toward the main entrance with Rodney falling behind, trying to juggle all of his equipment. It was amazing he had made it down those stairs with everything intact, and going up wasn't going to be much easier.

The moment they reached the alcove there was a loud pop. The pink field reappeared, only guarding the exit and no longer the bunker itself. Rodney moaned, throwing his hands up into the air. "Oh, of course! Because it never can be that easy, can it?" Immediately he reached for his laptop just as the hologram woman reappeared, still looking frazzled.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to leave. One hundred cycles remain before the world is safe again. For the sake of Enma, you must stay here. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to leave. One hundred cycles remain…"

The team exchanged worried glances as Rodney reached for the wires he had pressed together previously. There was another large pop as he was suddenly thrust back, hitting something soft but hard. Shaking, Rodney tried to catch his breath. "What the…"

"System controls are protected. You will not tamper with the controls. System controls are protected. You must not tamper with the controls." More static rippled through the hologram. "Alert. An escape attempt has been detected. Know that system controls are protected. One hundred cycles have not yet elapsed. Please, return to your rooms. Alert. An escape attempt has been…"

Rodney gazed at his hands, trying to shake away the burning sensation. He was amazed that he was still conscious, having felt the bolt of electricity shoot through him. He felt Carson at his side, checking him over while Ronon slowly leaned him down on the ground; it must have been the Satedan that had broken his fall.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Carson asked, pouring ointment on Rodney's hands.

Rodney felt the gel hit him, helping ease the terrible burning.

"Is he okay?" John asked, and Rodney realized for the first time how worried everyone was, staring at him with honest concern.

"Aye, I think so. His vitals are a bit too fast for my liking, but that's to be expected. A bit dehydrated as well so he'll be needing lots of water. I don't see anything life threatening though. Just the same, I'd like to get you both to the infirmary soon as possible."

"Alert," the hologram continued to repeat, nearly drowning out the conversation.

"Without reaching the controls, I have no idea how we'll get out of here. It might take some time before I can bypass the fields," Rodney whined, pushing to his feet with Ronon's help. Teyla handed him her canteen and he drank greedily, not realizing how thirsty he had been. The jog here coupled with the long work day had definitely taken its toll.

He was standing on his own power now, but he feared that if he tried to take a step he'd fall over. His body rocked slightly, and Ronon's hand returned to steady him.

"He doesn't seem okay," Ronon said, staring at Beckett as he did so.

A wave of static rippled through the hologram before she returned, a stern expression on her face. "All refugees will remove themselves from the entrance immediately. All refugees will remove themselves from the entrance immediately. 9, 8, 7…"

"Alright, let's move it people!" Sheppard motioned for everyone to clear the way back into the sitting room. Rodney found himself half-carried, but everything was such a blur that he didn't mind too much.

"3, 2 … Entry way is now clear. Refugees will remain in the bunker until time has elapsed. Thank you for your cooperation."

As he listened to Sheppard call for assistance, Rodney was lowered onto one of the beds. His body was shaking. What was it he had thought of this world? A tomb? The surface was nothing compared to this bunker, so far below the ground it was hard to breathe just thinking about it. And now they were trapped and it was hard to think and everything was going black.

"Rodney! Rodney, can you hear me?" Carson was patting his face, but it was no use. He was so tired and closing his eyes felt like the best plan.

"'Night," he whispered before letting the black take over.

**TBC...**


	2. Exploring

**Chapter Two**

No sooner had Rodney fallen unconscious than a large thump echoed in the room. Sheppard swung around, facing the entrance door. It had swung shut on its own volition. Ronon was there in an instant, trying to wrench it open, but it would not budge. Without access to the computers outside, they were truly trapped.

John leapt forward to assist, as did Lorne and Teyla, but it was no use.

Turning his attention back to Rodney, John knelt beside his friend. Carson held out a water bag toward John and then proceeded to insert an IV into Rodney's wrist. John winced as he saw some blood spurt away from the needle.

"Well, that'll be leaving a bruise," Carson remarked as he began searching for another vein. John's veins had popped once, but never under Carson's care. Turning his attention toward Carson he noted the weariness in the slack shoulders and slow movements.

"You okay, doc?"

"Aye, it isn't me that's the problem. Veins don't act too well when dehydrated, that's all."

Carson taped down the needle while John draped the bag over a chair.

"How is he?"

"I can't be certain, but I think it's just exhaustion coupled with the shock those wires gave him. His vitals are steadying out so he may just need to sleep for a while. We should keep a close eye on him, though. Lord only knows what I might be missing." Beckett rubbed his weary eyes. They were all so exhausted.

Stifling a yawn, John turned toward Lorne and Teyla, allowing adrenaline to keep him awake. "We need to find another way out of here. Try one of the other doors and see what you can discover. Check in every five minutes."

"Yes, Sir," Lorne answered quickly. Teyla nodded.

Sheppard reached up to his radio. "Radek, this is Sheppard. Do you read?"

Static.

"Zelenka, do you copy?"

More static.

"Try yours," Sheppard ordered, motioning in Carson's direction.

Carson tapped his own earpiece. "This is Dr. Beckett, can anyone hear me?"

More static, but John had heard the doctor's call echoed over his own set. So they could communicate with each other in here at least, but not with the outside world.

Sheppard tapped his earpiece once more. "To anyone that can read me, this is Colonel Sheppard. Drs. Beckett and McKay, Major Lorne, Teyla, Ronon and myself are trapped in an underground bunker. We require assistance. Repeat. We require assistance."

It was no use. If they could hear him, he couldn't hear them. He relayed the necessary information anyway, just in case someone was on the other side. That done, Sheppard fell back into a chair.

Meanwhile, Ronon continued to struggle with the door, searching the seam for a latch or other locking device. He pulled out a large knife, trying to force the seam open. There was a tendril of smoke as he retrieved what was left of the now melted blade. Angry, Ronon thrust himself onto the door and started pushing. He even tried shooting it with his gun. The blaster made a small dent in the door, but Sheppard was amazed to see a flicker of static over the dent. In its wake, Sheppard saw that the dent had repaired itself.

Knowing Ronon wouldn't give up for a while, Sheppard turned his gaze back to the remaining party.

"You two should search for a way out. I'll stay with Rodney," Carson suggested, replacing the blood pressure cuff in his bag.

Sheppard leaned closer to the flames, breathing in the warmth. It had been a long time since he'd had the joy of sitting next to a fireplace. It reminded him of home, before his dad had kicked him out or his mother had died. Back when they had been a family.

"Colonel, did you hear what I said?" Beckett asked, and only then did Sheppard realize that he had forgotten to answer the question.

"Yes, I did, and no, we're not leaving you two here. There's a lot that's not right about this place."

"Definitely," Ronon called from across the room. His face had grown red from pushing against the door. "The sooner we leave the better."

John agreed. It wasn't any one specific thing, but this place gave him the heebie jeebies. It felt cold and warm at the same time, and he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The occasional creak from within the walls wasn't helping.

His radio crackled and Teyla's voice came over the static, _"John."_

"Go ahead."

"We've discovered a dining room and a long corridor. We're just about to see where it will take us."

"_Understood."_

"There is something else. I believe I might have heard a scream."

"A scream? From where?" John looked down at the life signs detector. It still showed the same number of people in the complex as they had entered with. Not that the scanner hadn't been wrong before, but given how long the people on the surface had been dead, he would be surprised if the bunker was inhabited.

"I am uncertain. We have decided to continue forward, but I thought you should know." He noted her use of the word _I_. Lorne must not have heard anything.

"Alright. Any sign of an exit?"

It was Lorne who answered. _"Not yet. This place is huge though, Sir. It could take some time to search thoroughly."_

"Understood. Keep me updated, Major."

John rubbed his temples, though he headache was beginning to lessen. Soon they would get out o f here and he could rest in a comfortable bed.

There was a murmur from beside him where Rodney stirred. At first Sheppard had thought he was waking, but then he saw the clenched eyes and sweat. Rodney was having a nightmare.

"I don't want to," he was saying. "I don't want to die. Please, stop. Stop!"

Sheppard had camped out with Rodney many times before, and while there had been the occasional nightmare, he had never seen Rodney thrash back and forth as though fighting some invisible force. Not unless he had a fever, but Carson would have mentioned if that were the case now.

"Rodney. Come on, wake up, buddy."

Rodney's mumbles were hurried now, indistinct, and if he felt Sheppard trying to shake him awake, he didn't show it. Ronon stepped forward, holding the man down while commanding, "Wake up."

A moment later, Rodney's eyes shot open. He glanced around himself, confused and breathless. Slowly he came to his senses, his body relaxing.

"One hell of a nightmare," Sheppard commented. Despite the fire, he couldn't help but feel chill.

* * *

The first room they entered was as large as the main one. An elongated table stood in the center surrounded by a dozen chairs. Placed in the center of the table, every two chair lengths apart, were long, white candles. 

"Some place," Lorne commented, staring up at the chandelier that was identical to the one in the previous room. "Makes you wonder what kind of people lived here."

"There is a certain elegance to it," Teyla agreed.

"Especially for a bunker." Lorne leaned slightly against the table and the candles all lit at the movement.

Teyla stepped closer, waving her hand above the flame and feeling the heat. "I wonder why the fire is purple?"

"Beats me."

The flame continued to burn against her skin. She swept her hand away, shaking it as if it would help cool the flesh. If she didn't see the static flicker through the flame, she would have believed it was real.

Lorne took a last glance around the dining hall. "Something tells me we're not going to find much in here. Next room?"

Teyla nodded. There were four doors, one on each side. Ruling out the one behind her, there were still three choices remaining. "Do you have a preference?"

"The more out we go the more likely we are to find the exit."

"I agree."

They side skirted the table, tracing around until they came to the left exit, which Teyla noted was shorter than the others. Lorne raised his P-90 and aimed while Teyla opened the door, stepping aside quickly in case of any trouble. When nothing presented itself, Teyla and Lorne nodded at each other and ducked to cross the threshold.

They entered what looked like a dark corridor, tall enough for them to stand at full height. While the P-90's light revealed no movement, it was too dark to be sure that all was well. She took a step left and a torch roared to life beside her, illuminating a four-meter radius. Looking up she saw there were more torches, equally spaced down each end of the corridor. Smoke bellowed from each one, filling the hallway and making her cough.

Teyla noted, amazed, that the corridor extended for 150 meters in each direction. This bunker was large, grander than any dwelling back on Athos or on many of the worlds she had visited.

"Why do I get the feeling I should have stayed back at the village?" Lorne muttered. "I feel like a mouse trapped in a maze."

The floor below them creaked despite the fact neither had taken a step. They took opposing directions, looking for anyone that might have caused the sound.

"Must have just been foundation," Lorne said, his voice shaky.

"Possibly."

Teyla closed her eyes for a moment, committing to memory the directions they had turned, determined to find her way back. It was going to get more confusing, she knew, the further in they went. Beside her, Lorne pulled out a Sharpie from his vest, making a checkmark on the wall.

"We should move quickly. I do not wish to be trapped here long."

"Place unsettling you, too? Feels like the setting of a horror movie to me, creepiness and all."

Teyla took the lead, moving carefully but quickly. The granite walls were rougher than the ones in the other rooms, as though someone had deeply cared how the rest of the bunker looked, but not the corridor. About every thirty meters they passed another door, each the short height of the first. They tried the first one, which led to a room with only one other door. A giant plank of wood was raised in the middle of the rectangular space. It was given wide birth by the rest of the place, which was composed of more wood planks attached to the wall. There were cabinets overhead, a large basin with a spout, and sets of drawers circling all around, reaching from the planks to the floor.

"It's a kitchen," Lorne remarked, opening the occasional cabinet and finding different stone tools within each.

Teyla shined her bright light on one of the counters, running it along the sides until at last she found something: a liquid bubble over the wood. Small, and red, she could tell right away that it was fresh blood.

A scream ripped through the house. Jumping, she pointed her P-90 in every direction, trying to decipher where it had come from.

"What? What is it?" Lorne asked, raising his own weapon.

"Did you not just hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"There was a scream. A terrible scream." It was echoing in her mind like a distant memory but even as she'd heard it, it felt unreal. As though it had never existed.

"I didn't hear anything. Where did it come from?"

"I…I am uncertain." She steadied her shaking, forcing herself to stop looking. She hadn't heard it. It wasn't real.

"You're not just trying to scare me are you?"

"I assure you, Major, I would do no such thing. I could have sworn I heard it, but perhaps I was mistaken." Her light fell back on the counter, but the blood was gone.

Despite feeling unsettled, she forced herself to press on, convinced now that it had all been in her imagination. She stayed closer to Lorne than she normally would have as they walked. As they continued forward, she relayed the information to Sheppard, explaining what they had found so far.

They passed two more doors, each opening into a storage closet filled with large buckets. A few meters ahead, the corridor twisted around toward the left, but as they approached, they noticed a nook just before the turn. On closer examination, she saw narrow stairs wending downward.

"Another floor to the bunker?" Lorne asked.

"It would appear so."

"We should follow the corridor and not the stairs. Down there is only likely to get us more trapped."

"I agree."

Teyla took a few more steps before another bubble of red caught her glance, but when she turned to examine it more closely, it had disappeared.

"You okay?" Lorne asked, looking to the same place where she could not help but stare.

"I am fine," she lied. She felt as though she were losing her mind. The scream she had heard before still resounded in her ears; she could smell the blood though there had only been a few drops of it and it had never really been there. She dared not mention it to Lorne, but she would tell John when they returned. This place reeked of death.

* * *

Rodney's dreams were terrifying, tormented by that horrible hologram. "Alert. You must now all die," she said over and over again while a pink forcefield closed in on him. The room was shaking and he feared a terrible earthquake would tear the place apart any moment now. Death by forcefield or earthquake? Neither sounded particularly good. 

But wait, this was a dream. He had already figured that much out, but he wasn't sure how and wasn't sure he believed himself anyway. Strong hands grabbed hold of him and Rodney tried desperately to pull away. The chandelier above him swayed back and forth, the purple flames dancing across the room.

"Alert. You must now all die."

The grip that held him in place grew stronger. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He was truly trapped.

A young girl, no more than six or seven, stared up at him with a maniacal glint in her hazel eyes. Tilting her head slightly, she held out a doll that had seen better days. Its legs were dismembered from the torso, each hanging loosely by a single thread. The doll's arms were not much better off and its face was covered in streaks of crimson paint. The girl smiled, speaking in a breathy, singsong voice. "Have you come to play with me?" she asked. "I like games."

Rodney's eyes bolted open, his chest heaving and his head pounding. He saw large dreadlocks sweep before his eyes. Then Ronon's face came into view looking worried. Both of his hands had been employed to keep Rodney still.

"You're okay," the Satedan told him in a surprisingly comforting voice.

"One hell of a nightmare." Sheppard was at his left side, gazing down, concerned. His arms were linked across his chest as they always were when he was worried but didn't want to show it too much.

"Yeah," Rodney answered trying to blink away the image of the girl. And he had thought the skeletons were creepy?

"What happened?" he asked, trying to remember how he had come to fall asleep in the first place. He remembered Sheppard being injured and a forcefield keeping them inside. There had been a large pop and then a countdown…

"You fainted," Sheppard responded, smirking despite his worry.

"Aye." Carson's face came into view, shining his 'light of pain' straight at Rodney. "Your body's downright exhausted and getting shocked didn't help it much. Not sure what else might be going on other than dehydration."

The flashlight left his eyes and Rodney blinked away the bubbles. One of these days he was going to break into the infirmary and steal all of them so Carson couldn't shine them in their eyes anymore.

"What about Radek? Is he on the other side trying to figure out--"

"We've lost contact," Sheppard interrupted. "We can only communicate within the bunker it seems. With any luck they've found us by now and are working on it, but we have no way of knowing." He motioned toward the door that was now closed, blocking all view of the entrance and the computer there. "It's sealed shut."

"Oh that's just great! Any other surprises you'd like to share with me, Colonel?" Rodney felt the need to hyperventilate at the thought of being closed in. It took all of his effort not to do so, but part of him started shaking as evidenced by Carson trying to steady him. _Not a tomb. This is not a tomb. _His breathing calmed and after a minute of silence in which Carson had been saying something comforting, even if Rodney couldn't make out the words, Rodney was back in control. He reopened his eyes that must have clenched shut at some point.

"Where's Teyla?" He surveyed his surroundings, noticing for the first time that someone was missing. Two someones, actually, now that he thought about it.

"Lorne and Teyla are checking out the complex. We're hoping to find a secondary exit or another set of computers you can use to get us out of here."

"Any luck?" It was hard to think with his rumbling head, and he couldn't shake away that image of the doll. Of all the places to be trapped.

"They only left a few minutes ago," Carson cut in. "You can just rest for now and we'll let you know when something comes up."

After that nightmare, the last thing Rodney wanted was to sleep some more. Instead he waved Ronon away from him, whose grip, while lightened, had not actually let go. Ronon, realizing this was the case, immediately pulled back. "Sorry."

"What do you think you're doing?" Carson demanded, pushing his patient back against the pillow.

"Look, the more of us that look for an exit, the sooner we'll get out of here."

"You're in no shape to…"

Rodney increased his push, but only ended up pulling on his IV line, noticing its presence for the first time. Pushing away from Carson, but toward the IV bag, he managed to wiggle himself free from the doctor's hold. Neither Sheppard nor Ronon tried to stop him.

"Rodney's right," Sheppard said, "The sooner we're out of here the better. Rodney, you're with me. We'll head through that door. Carson, Ronon, radio Teyla and Lorne and see if there's any area they didn't manage to cover yet."

Rodney nodded, pulling out his IV despite the admonishing glare Carson was giving him. Rodney looked up at the chandelier. Though it was steady, he kept imagining it moving, its purple flames dropping to the floor. Shrugging the image away, he took a step forward, but someone was there. He looked down to see the young girl holding out her doll.

He screamed, jumping back.

"What, what is it?" Sheppard raised his weapon, aiming it where Rodney was staring.

The girl was gone. Rodney realized she never was there. "Nothing. Uh, sorry, just, uh, shall we go?"

Sheppard examined his friend carefully, as if trying to read his mind. At last he nodded, "Yeah. Let's move it people."

They had made it to the right door, and Carson had just tapped his earpiece to talk, when Teyla called.

"_Major Lorne has been seriously injured."_ Sheppard took one glance at his lifesigns detector and found them.

"We're on our way."

Sheppard pointed toward the left door and Ronon ran ahead with the others following closely behind.

* * *

The corridor was easy enough to find. The torches gave it a strange medieval look, but there was no time to dwell on the surroundings. Using his weapon for a flashlight, he raced down the hallway, turned left at the juncture, and then continued forward until he had reached the end. 

"Teyla?"

The dots were directly below them now. Sheppard looked around, finding a nook with a descending set of stairs. Ronon was already on his way down, as if he could sense them there.

Rodney complained the moment he touched the rail. "Burnt hands, remember?" But he continued without hesitation.

They reached the bottom at last. Teyla was pressing a piece of cloth firmly to Lorne's shoulder. Blood was smeared on her face where she must have wiped her sweat away.

"He…He fell down the stairs," she explained. "I was not quick enough to grab him."

Beckett moved her aside, noting the injuries himself and getting to work with super hero speed.

Amazingly, Lorne was still awake, though his gaze was fuzzy and the crinkles of pain in his expression told Sheppard he'd be better off unconscious. He was covered in blood, having gashed himself on each stair as he fell. Whoever had created sharp, metal, narrow stairs, hadn't been taking safety into account.

"Sir," Lorne called, coughing as he did so. One of the wounds ran from his upper chest to lower torso, bleeding terribly.

"Gotta be more careful of those steps."

"No, Sir…didn't…fall." His breathing was heavy. Clearly just talking was causing him a great deal of effort.

Before Sheppard could ask him what he meant, Lorne's body went limp.

Beckett continued working, motioning to places Teyla and Ronon could help him by applying pressure or bandaging wounds.

"He took a nasty fall," Beckett explained, "but he should be alright once we get him to the infirmary. Main thing is to stop the bleeding and keep him as still as possible."

Short of having Ronon do a fireman's carry, there was no way of getting the injured man up the stairs. He also knew Beckett would want to keep Lorne as flat as possible after such a fall, and that meant keeping him down here.

John left Ronon and Rodney to assist Carson, and motioned for Teyla to come with him. "We need to see what's down here."

Teyla hesitated before standing up, looking down at Lorne while shaking slightly. "Of course," she finally replied.

As above, they were in a dark corridor lit by torches. Moving toward their left, they passed two doors. The first led to a storage room filled with ratted clothes and what might have been board games. There was also a pile of wood planks. The second led to another corridor, this one more decorated than the previous. It fit the rest of the bunker's décor. From this corridor they found another storage closet and a linen closet toward the right, and a bathhouse toward the left. At the end of the corridor remained two more doors. Opening the right one, he found two tiny, wooden beds surrounded on all sides by raised wood. Cribs, he realized.

Opening the left door, he found a much larger bed, a bureau, and another chandelier hanging from the ceiling, but this time with a blue flame. At least they had somewhere comfortable to settle the Major, though the room wouldn't easily fit all of them.

"What did he mean when he said he didn't fall?"

Teyla examined the tall mirror beside the bureau, moving her hands down the reflection. "I am unsure."

"How did it happen?"

"We were upstairs when we noticed the second set of steps. I moved to open the next door when I heard Lorne's scream from behind me. By the time I turned around, he had already fallen out of view. That is when I called for assistance."

There was something monotone, and strangely calm in her explanation, but he shook it off as his imagination.

They left the room, swinging by the storage closet before they rendezvoused with the rest of the team. Sheppard carried one of the planks, which he lowered beside Lorne. "There's a bedroom up ahead we can keep him in for now. We'll have to make sure someone is with him at all times, and if anyone has any idea on how to get him up the stairs safely, I'd like to hear it now."

No one spoke. They all knew the possibility of back injury was great, and no one wanted to do more damage. If it came to it, they would, but not yet.

They settled Lorne into the new room, watching as Carson set up the necessary IVs.

John leaned against the doorway, taking in the scene and weighing how much more his team could handle. They all needed rest, but it wouldn't be coming for a while. "Alright. Teyla, Ronon, and I will keep searching for an exit or a computer. Rodney, Carson, stay here with Lorne. Make sure you keep your guard up."

"Sir." The voice came from the bed, airy and weak sounding.

"Major?" Sheppard moved to his side, placing his hand on the man's shoulder.

"Pushed."

"What?"

"I…was…pushed…Sir."

Sheppard felt the tension tighten. New chills riveted down his spine. "Are you saying there's someone else here? Someone not showing up on the life signs detector?"

Lorne licked his dry lips. His eyelids kept closing, but he continued to force them back open. "Yes, Sir. Unless Teyla pushed me," he smiled at the last bit, clearly joking. Though Sheppard remembered the planet where all of the team attacked each other while hallucinating, or the time his mind had been taken over by an alien presence, or when he had almost developed into a Wraith-bug. He trusted his team, but he also knew that in Pegasus, one had to be careful. Glancing at Teyla, she looked calm and collected, worried, but definitely herself. No, the more likely scenario was that someone else was here, maybe had been for a long while.

"All right, you just rest for now. We'll take care of it."

"Wait, there's someone here?" Rodney asked, panicking. "As in someone stuck with us who tried to kill Lorne? We've got to get out of here! I mean, now!"

"Calm down. Let's just think this through."

"If there's someone here," Ronon interjected, "I'll find 'em."

"We are all going to die here," Rodney muttered to himself, not noticing the growl his response elicited from Ronon.

John pushed away from the wall, willing himself to keep moving. "Okay, change of plans. Ronon and I are going to check out every possible corner of this place. The rest of you stay here and stay alert."

**TBC**  



	3. The Plot Thickens

A/N: Wow, thanks for all the reviews. You guys are awesome. Oh, I forgot to say before, thanks to skypig21 for the info I needed to pull off this story.

**Chapter 3**

Rodney found himself falling asleep despite the warnings to keep alert. Unfortunately, every time he closed his eyes he saw the girl with her doll and that was enough to snap him back to the conscious world. Sometimes he saw her while awake, but ignored the hallucinations for the sake of his sanity.

Shifting his position slightly, he watched Teyla examine the rest of the room, taking an inordinate amount of time to look at herself in the mirror.

His eyes were on the verge of closing again when he felt someone grab his arm. Jolting awake, he pulled the limb away only for Carson to take it back again. "As long as we're stuck here waiting, I'm gonna get some liquids in you. No arguing."

"Yes, because when the crazy homicidal maniac shows himself, he'll gladly wait for me to remove the IV before attacking. Brilliant plan."

"What makes you think it is a man?" Teyla asked, not turning away from her reflection.

"What?"

"You said 'shows himself' implying the person is a man."

"Oh. I don't know. Look, I didn't mean anything by it. It just takes too long to say 'himself or herself', and really, why bother?"

"Who said there was a killer? Aren't we all jumping to conclusions a might bit fast here?"

Wincing as the needle entered his vein wall, Rodney turned and glared at his aggressor. "You don't know how to take no for an answer, do you?"

"Not when it comes to your health, I don't. Now stop griping and get some sleep. Teyla and I will let you know if the boogey man comes calling."

"I hate creepy places. Especially creepy places that are deep down under the ground and filled with homicidal maniacs. I just think you should all be aware of that."

"Aye, Rodney. We have guessed that much."

Beckett returned to tending to his real patient.

"He said someone pushed him," Rodney muttered, not for the first time. "You're sure you didn't see anyone?"

"No. I was not aware of anyone else with us." Teyla had opened the door to the bathhouse, no longer satisfied with searching the small room, but she was still visible through the wide double doors. She wandered past two oval tubs, each of which could hold five people, and toward a set of shelves covered in folded cloths.

"But how can you not notice someone in that situation? Surely something had to have caught your attention."

Teyla's hand froze on the towels. Her voice was barely audible. "There was blood."

"Excuse me?"

"Blood. I had seen blood in the kitchen when I heard the woman scream. And there was blood again on the walls."

"And you didn't think to mention this before?"

"It wasn't real. Neither was the scream. I do not care for this place."

Rodney pushed himself up, examining his teammate closely. "Are you okay?" She was shaking, her voice strangely monotonic.

"No, I do not think I am. I believe we are all in great danger here."

Teyla was scared, Rodney realized. Terrified even. Rodney shivered because he knew that if she was all worked up over this bunker, there was a good reason to be.

Beside him, Beckett sounded just as worried. "What do you mean the blood and scream were all in your head. Teyla, what are you saying?"

"I cannot explain. But neither of you see blood on the mirror, do you?"

Taken aback, Rodney grabbed his IV bag, heading toward the object in question. There was nothing there, but that didn't stop him from looking closely, as if leaning in would reveal something he hadn't seen before. A wave of static rippled through the mirror, but it only lasted a second.

Beside him, Carson was also searching for the mysterious blood. "There isn't a thing there," he remarked.

"Exactly. But I did see it, earlier, when Sheppard and I had first found this room, and again a few minutes ago."

"Maybe you should sit down," Carson said, his voice barely louder than a whisper, as though scared of frightening her further.

Teyla shook her head, almost as if she were forcing herself out of a trance. Straightening her uniform and grabbing the towels, she moved forward. "I am sorry. I do not know what has come over me." She handed the materials to Carson without explanation, and he then placed them by the bed. Rodney figured they'd be useful for cleaning Lorne's wounds when it came time to re-bandage them. For once they wouldn't have to resort to using the clothes off their backs.

"We're all exhausted," Carson answered. "Maybe we just need a good nights sleep.

Returning to his seat, Rodney pushed his legs close to his chest. "It's this place," he muttered. "Everywhere I look I see this creepy little girl and her broken doll. She's not really there, I don't think, but I keep seeing her." It was easier to confess, now that Teyla had spoken of her experiences, but he still felt silly for mentioning anything. "I mean, I'm sure it's my imagination. This place gives me the creeps."

"Aye, I think it does that to all of us. Let's hope Ronon and Sheppard find something soon enough."

"Rodney," Teyla asked, "much of this place is holographic, correct? Much like the information hologram on Atlantis?"

Rodney nodded. "Yeah, you can tell when part of the environment flickers."

"So could it be that whatever is controlling the program is producing these images for a split second before…"

Rodney turned, smiling slightly. He had known for a while now that Teyla had a lot of smarts potential. But then he realized the flaw in her logic. "No. Sorry. When I've seen the girl, you were looking right in her direction. Unless this computer is tapped into our minds and we're each seeing something different, I don't know."

Teyla looked disappointed, lowering herself to the floor. "I cannot shake the feeling that something terrible took place here."

"Would you two please be quiet. This place is unsettling enough without hearing you go on about things," Carson cried.

Rodney turned toward Carson, who was making a show of checking Lorne's blood pressure. "You're seeing something, too, aren't you?"

"Maybe so, but it isn't real so it doesn't matter. Now if you'd please change the conversation, I'd really appreciate it."

Rodney had seen Carson worked up many times, especially offworld. The doctor wasn't much for traveling long distances and would have gladly kept to Atlantis if he'd had the choice. "Fine, what would you like to talk about? Unicorns and puppies perhaps?" He swung his hands in the air, the line attached to his wrist pulling.

Rodney looked down at the IV, confused. He knew if it was just dehydration, Carson would have made him drink water. So what was the doctor secretly slipping him and why wasn't he telling? Rodney suspected it had something to do with the shock he received upstairs. Maybe there was something wrong with him and Carson didn't want to say. Rodney did, after all, feel dizzy and tired, his head pounding worse than before.

"What are you giving me?" he finally asked.

"What's that?"

"The IV. What's in the bag?"

"Water for your dehydration."

Carson was a bad liar.

"Really?" Rodney crossed his arms incredulously. "Would you like me to point out all the logical flaws with that statement or do you want to tell me what is going on?"

At first, Carson seemed confused, looking at the bag, but then he looked up, more sure of himself. "Aye, I slipped you a little pain medicine for that headache you're obviously having, and just a little cocktail to keep you going."

Rodney suspected Carson was still lying, but didn't press the subject. He trusted Carson with his life, even if the lack of information would drive him crazy.

There was a loud squeak as one of the doors opened. All three of them jumped, before aiming their weapons, only to find Ronon entering. John was slumped over his shoulder, unconscious.

"Bloody hell, what's happened now?" Carson and Rodney leaped forward, but Ronon refused their assistance in lowering Sheppard onto the floor.

"Not sure," Ronon shrugged. "But his head's bleeding."

Rodney reached for the towels, handing them to Carson before the doctor had a chance to ask.

"Looks like he took quite the blow. Definitely been hit with something," Carson muttered.

Teyla came by their sides carrying a small basin full of water. "Tell us what you can remember," she instructed.

Ronon shrugged, but Rodney noticed his clenched fists. "There was no one there; I would have seen them. One minute he's looking in a closet, the next he's on the floor unconscious."

There weren't many people that could get past Ronon undetected, much less attack one of his friends under his nose. Rodney had been hoping it would be Ronon's strength that would keep them all from getting killed down here, but this latest failing left little hope in that. Turning to Sheppard, Rodney reached for one of his hands.

"He's going to be okay, right?"

"I can't say for sure. He's likely to have a concussion, but I think we can stop the bleeding. We'll just have to wait for him to wake up to know more."

"There are two more bedrooms. I'll grab blankets," Ronon muttered, rushing off, his fists still clenched. Whoever had attacked Sheppard and Lorne was in for a beating once Ronon found them, that was for sure.

It only took a moment for Ronon to re-emerge, and then everyone helped get Sheppard comfortable as Carson tied a neat bandage around his forehead.

"So the only thing we can conclude from all of this is that someone is definitely trying to kill us. Well, I don't know about you all, but I feel comforted." Rodney hadn't let go of Sheppard's hand, and didn't plan to either. There was something comforting about the warm touch. It reassured him that Sheppard was indeed alive, which meant there was still hope of escaping this godforsaken place.

"Did you find any computers?" Rodney asked, remembering why the two had left in the first place.

"No, but there are two locked rooms on this level and one locked room upstairs. I think I can get through."

Rodney was on his feet before he knew what he was doing, once again ripping the IV out of his arm. "I'm coming with you."

"You are?"

"Yes, I am. Don't sound so shocked. Look, I want to be alive as much as the next guy, but the sooner I get to a computer, the sooner I can get us out of here."

Standing up had only worsened his dizziness. He managed to keep his balance and not fall over, but it took a lot more work than it should have. Knowing the others were watching him, he forced himself to move. "Let's go."

* * *

Ronon would have preferred Rodney stayed behind. For one, the man obviously wasn't feeling well and he'd likely slow things down. For two, Rodney was great with technology and bad with a gun. Still, he didn't complain, knowing that the sooner they got Rodney to a computer, the better. 

They made their way out into the corridor, where Rodney immediately stopped them with a wave of his hand. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That, that music! Oh, God, I'm hearing things aren't I? Just like Teyla and that scream!"

Ronon listened carefully, recognizing the strange sounds from one floor up. "We accidentally activated a musician hologram when we stepped on the dance floor. Must not have turned off yet."

"Oh, thank God," Rodney visibly relaxed, hunching over. "I though I was going crazy." Then Rodney straightened as if staring at something. Ronon turned, but there was nothing there.

"We should go."

Rodney seemed to forget where he was, his stare blank, and then he blinked a few times before moving forward. "Right, of course."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Now, are we moving or not?" He snapped his fingers and Ronon reluctantly followed, his patience waning.

They came to the door that Ronon had noted was only accessible from the surrounding corridor, one of the few rooms without multiple entrances.

"So how do you propose we open it? I suspect if forcing it down with brute strength was an option, you would have already done so. Judging by the blast marks, your weapon wasn't much help either." Rodney sounded snide, another reason Ronon hadn't wanted him to tag along. There were times he could handle the little man, but here, in this place, was not one of them. Everything in this bunker seemed to heighten his sense of agitation and anger, making him feel out of control. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but he knew it was there.

"Can't force our way in," Ronon answered matter-of-factly.

"Okay, so what's the plan?"

Ronon allowed himself a brief smile; for once he knew something Rodney didn't. He held up a ring of strange silver pieces, each with flat computer-like ends attached to the bottom and a curvy design on the top. "I have a key."

"Oh," Rodney said, clearly taken aback. "How did you get those?"

"Found 'em upstairs in the large bedroom. Figured one of these had to work."

Ignoring Rodney's mutterings, Ronon placed each key in, one by one, until at last the door swung open. He heard Rodney gasp from behind him, and Ronon himself couldn't help but feel disgusted.

"Oh my God, how many…That's just…" Apparently Rodney was at a loss for words, but it didn't last long. "We are really going to die aren't we? I mean, this is the proof, right? What if the killer…what if he killed _all_ of them?" He motioned toward the bones that littered the ground in a pile almost as big as Ronon.

"Calm down. We don't even know there's a killer yet."

"Calm down? Are you kidding? Are you seeing the same thing I am because that is not good! I mean, really not good!"

Ronon looked back, seeing Rodney's pale face, half hidden behind a handkerchief. "You'll be okay. I'll see to it." He wasn't sure why he had said it, but he meant every word. He always did. His team was his family and he wasn't going to let anyone harm them. The fact someone had already gotten to Sheppard just made him that much more angry.

Rodney looked taken aback. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't help Shep…nevermind. I, uh, thanks."

The second room was rectangular, small compared to many of the others, but it was more crowded than the rest. A set of wood beds aligned each row. Each had a single pillow and a thin blanket. In the middle of the room were water basins and towels.

"This is so much better than skeletons," Rodney muttered, keeping behind Ronon as they searched.

The third and final destination was nearest to the master bedroom upstairs. It too only seemed to have a single entrance. As Ronon turned the key he heard a distant crash from within, followed by the sound of scurrying feet.

"Did you hear that?" Rodney asked, trying to whisper but failing.

"Yeah." Ronon motioned for him to be quiet as they both prepared for what might be beyond the door. As it swung open, Ronon examined the room in a single gaze. Computers lined every wall, as well as monitors filled with static. Toward his left he noticed movement, slight but definitely there. Reaching down, he ripped away the blocking chair and grabbed the person hidden there.

"Who are you?" Ronon demanded. He grabbed her shoulders, using them to pin her to the wall.

The woman seemed to shrink into her tattered dress, her wide terrified eyes trying to look anywhere but into his. "No. No, please, don't hurt me!"

Her hair was gray, decorated in braided patterns similar to the holograms, but strands flew in every direction. Her eyes were different as well. Her irises were black as the night, completely indistinguishable from her pupils. Her skin was slightly wrinkled, but he didn't figure her to be any older than fifty in Satedan years.

"You attacked my friends."

"No! It wasn't me! You must believe me!" She tried to kick away, desperate to wiggle free, but Ronon knew she was no match for him.

"What do you mean it wasn't you?" Rodney asked. "You're the only stranger here and, oh look, you're hiding in a locked room full of computers. You should know that my friend here doesn't take too kindly to people messing with us."

The woman stopped wiggling, looking to both of them as though pleading for her life. "Please, please, stop!" she cried, tears rolling down her face. "Leave me alone, please!"

"Wait." Rodney started pacing, snapping his fingers. "This room has a jamming device. That's why we didn't pick up your life sign and that's also why I couldn't pinpoint where the computers were! I'm right, aren't I?"

If anything, the woman began to struggle more. "Let me go!"

Ronon could see where Rodney was going with this. If one room was blocked from the sensors… Tightening his hold on her, he leaned closer. "How many more of you are there?"

"What? None. Please, please, don't hurt me!"

She was still sobbing, her body shaking under his hold, but he would not be fooled. "How many?"

"I already told you! None! I'm the only one. The last survivor. Don't you understand? The last of my people!"

Ronon could see Rodney shrink behind him, uncomfortable with the situation, but knowing he needed to let Ronon do his thing. As long as he didn't get in the way, that was fine. He saw the scientist reach for the computers, distracting himself with the controls. Good. Maybe he'd find their way out of this place at last. If he didn't pass out that was. Rodney really wasn't looking well.

Keeping his feral stare on the woman, Ronon said calmly, "I don't believe you."

The woman slackened in his grasp, no longer struggling. She stared back, as if no longer afraid. "That's your choice, but it's the truth."

Ronon was divided. Part of him sensed she was honest, but the other part knew that someone had attacked his teammates, and there really was only one stranger here. So either there were others or this frail woman was their aggressor. He examined her, looking for any sign of deceit, but finding none.

"Why did you attack us?"

"I didn't!"

"Then who did?"

The woman's breaths evened, but she was more afraid than when he had first grabbed her and started asking questions. The strange part was, he didn't think that fear was directed at him.

"Then who did?" he repeated.

"The dark," she whispered. "The same dark that killed them cycles ago. The dark we tried to escape by hiding down here, but from which there was no escape. The same dark that will kill all of you now." Ronon was just about to demand real answers, when the woman turned toward Rodney with a strange expression. "He's seen it. I know he has! The girl visits you, doesn't she?"

Ronon had had enough of her antics. Part of him wanted to kill her now and end this trouble for good, but he knew it was not his team's way, and valuable information might be lost. If they killed her, they might be trapped forever. But there was more to it. He could see Rodney frozen in the background. He was staring at the controls, shivering.

"I know you have. Tell him!"

Rodney swung around, stepping further away from them, his back leaning against the controls. "You're putting the images in our heads," he said. "You are, aren't you? You can make us see things that aren't there. You're trying to convince us that we're going crazy?"

The woman shook her head vigorously. "No!" she cried. "It's not me. The girl…she is…she was my sister. But it's not her. It never was her! The dark can make you see things. It controls you. Don't you see?"

Ronon growled. He had no time for lies and Rodney's hypothesis was much more likely.

"Get us out of here. Now," he demanded.

"I can't!" the woman said, fresh tears crawling down her skin. "I've been trying to leave for so long, but it won't let me. And even if it did, out there is no less safe. It lives there same as here."

"You don't want to see me angry," Ronon snarled. "I suggest you tell us how to leave."

Instead of cowering more, the woman forced a strong expression, glaring at him. "There is only one way. The same way everyone else left, and you've found them, haven't you? Downstairs, locked away in the storage closet. On the surface, lying in piles on the ground. There's only one way out and that's it. Death," she whispered the last word with reverence.

No sooner had she uttered 'death' than a loud crashing sound filled the room. Ronon did not let go, did not dare to turn his gaze from her, but from his peripheral vision he could see what had happened. One of the chairs was toppled on its side. Beside it, Rodney lay motionless.

**TBC**


	4. Rodney's illness

Posting a bit late tonight, sorry about that.

**Chapter Four**

Rodney was definitely ill. How badly, Ronon couldn't be sure. He held the woman against the wall, trying to decide what to do. He couldn't call Beckett for assistance, or he'd need Teyla to escort him up here, and they couldn't leave the unconscious alone. Therefore, it was up to Ronon to find a way out of this.

"Move and I kill you." Slowly he lessened his hold on her until he was satisfied that she would follow his direction. Never truly letting her out of his sight, he leaned down beside Rodney.

He felt the rapid pulse beneath his fingers. Blue eyes blinked open then suddenly clenched shut. "Oh God, oh that hurts," Rodney mumbled through tight breaths. "Really, really…Ow." He reached one hand toward his forehead and Ronon could see that it was real pain, not just Rodney's fake complaining.

"What happened?" Ronon asked gently. From behind him, the woman moved an inch to the left. In an instant, Ronon's gun was aimed at her, primed and ready to shoot. She didn't try moving again.

"Dizzy. Head. Not really sure." The fragments were a far cry from Rodney's normal tirades, and that made Ronon only worry more. Grabbing hold under Rodney's arm, Ronon heaved him upward. It took a moment before the scientist was steady on his feet, but Ronon didn't let go, not wanting his friend to collapse again.

"We need to get to Beckett."

"No, I gotta…controls," he waved his finger in a loop as though that explained everything.

Ronon looked around. They had finally found the computers, which was the first step to leaving, but he wasn't about to let Rodney work in his current condition. "We'll come back later."

Before Rodney could protest, Ronon swung the injured man's arm over his shoulder. Pointing the gun at their prisoner, he instructed her to move. "Try anything and I shoot."

"We're all dead anyway," she replied, but she pushed away from the wall and slowly moved toward the exit. She had a limp, he realized, and her left arm hung at a strange angle. He imagined that if she was telling the truth about not attacking them, that their aggressor was also hers.

He tapped his earpiece, "Teyla?"

"_Go ahead."_

"We've found someone. We're heading back now. Something's wrong with Rodney."

"_Understood. Be careful, Ronon."_

"Always."

Rodney slumped further into Ronon's hold. Ronon chanced a glance, noticing that Rodney's eyes were half-closed and unfocused. He was flushed and creases of pain strained his features.

Ahead of him, the woman spoke. "I'm not a threat to you."

"Sure you're not. Keep moving."

"Listen to me, the dark will consume all of you."

"Stop talking."

They made it to a staircase Ronon had found earlier. It was in the middle of the complex as opposed to the outside. The stairs were less narrow here but still dangerous. Getting Rodney down them safely was going to be a feat.

"I'll have to carry you," he told Rodney. Unhooking the man from his shoulders, he waited a moment for Rodney to get his bearings and give the okay. In a single sweep, Ronon lifted Rodney into a fireman's carry, leaving his left arm ready with the weapon.

"You first," he instructed, motioning toward the staircase with the gun.

The woman said nothing, sweeping in front of them and heading down the stairs; her head was held high, but there were still tears streaming down her face. She was trying to be strong, he realized, but her fear was getting the best of her.

It was difficult, holding onto Rodney and the gun while trying to traverse the steps. He couldn't risk a hand to grab the rail, so he moved as fast as he could without risking a fall. Rodney, meanwhile, was moaning in pain, the position not helping his headache.

At last they reached the bottom of the stairs, entering the decorated hallway. "Move it."

The woman obeyed, stopping before the bedroom door as though she had known that's where they were going all along. At the very least, she had been watching them. "Open it."

Without comment, she followed his orders and a moment later Teyla was helping lower Rodney to the floor.

"I'm fine, get off of me," Rodney tried in vain to push her away as they laid him next to Sheppard. "Ow. Just…ow." His face was wet with tears, and there was now a green tinge to his skin that Ronon didn't like at all.

"Grab an empty basin," he instructed Teyla, knowing what was coming. Sure enough, the moment Teyla returned from the washroom, Rodney leaned over and expelled what food was left in him.

"That's it, easy now," Carson consoled, rubbing Rodney's back.

Through all of this, Ronon had kept his gun aimed at the woman. She sat on the floor, next to the mirror, watching all of this through wet eyes. Sniffling loudly, she brushed her arm under her nose.

"You know what's wrong with him," Ronon said, realizing this for the first time. It was clear in her expression.

He had expected her to deny it, as she had denied everything else. Instead she nodded slightly.

Silence filled the room as everyone turned to her. "Explain," Teyla demanded, though her voice was soft.

"Dr. Beckett knows. Don't you, Doctor?"

"And what do you mean by that?" Carson asked angrily.

"The dark," she answered him in a singsong voice, though she was still crying. "You heard the dark and it told you what to do. You didn't realize, maybe you still don't, but check your bag and you'll see. You'll understand."

Ronon marched up to the woman, lifting her up and pressing her firmly against the wall. "Speak plain. What's wrong with him?"

The woman tried to wiggle free, freaking out in his hold. "Let go of me! Please, let go!" Since he had found the stranger, he had noticed two sides to her. When trapped, she was as a caged animal, desperate to get free. It was only when he let her go that she calmed down, finding the strength within her to speak coherently. He had seen this in others, and he wondered what trauma she must have endured to become like this. At the same time, he didn't care. She had attacked them, or knew who had.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Bloody hell," Carson whispered from behind them, his voice shaking.

"What is it?" Teyla asked, coming to his side quickly and holding his shoulder.

"She's right. I…I can't believe it. I did this." He was breathing hard, as if staring down at a terrible massacre. He raised his hands up, staring at them in horror. "Oh my God."

Ronon growled, "Stay still," then lowered the girl back to the ground before also taking his place at Carson's side.

Rodney was hunched over in pain, no longer part of the conversation. He was shaking, unaware of how horrified Carson looked right now.

"Carson?" Teyla prompted. He was now shuffling through his medical bag. In one hand he held a colored box, in the other the empty bag of an IV.

"I can't explain. I must have been confused, but even then that wouldn't explain… I…" He was shaking so badly now that it was making Ronon dizzy. "I can't believe it. There must be some mistake! Oh God, I gotta fix this. Gotta fix this now." Then he swung around, moving to his bag, grabbing a needle and quickly injecting it in Rodney's arm. There was no complaint from the scientist. Carson was still shaking, but his voice was now calm but forced. "That should help for now. You still with us, Rodney?"

"Yes," came the shaky reply.

"It's going to hurt for a while, but you should be okay. Just stay still and try to sleep. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Good, you're doing great. Just hold on."

Ronon and Teyla silently spoke to one another, wondering what it was they were missing in the conversation. What was it that could have upset Carson that badly?

As Rodney's body went limp, Carson stood up, rubbing his hands through his hair. He looked ready to burst into tears.

"Carson?" Teyla prompted again. "What is it?"

"I can't…I…" He threw his arms into the air, pacing the room. Ronon had never seen him this upset and it was unsettling. What was wrong with Rodney?

"Explain," Ronon demanded curtly. They didn't have time for this.

It seemed to do the trick. Carson looked up at him, taking a deep breath. "Aye, you deserve an explanation. Just know that I didn't mean…I don't understand…I can't…"

Teyla grabbed hold of his arm, leading him toward the edge of Lorne's bed. He sat down like a rigid puppet, starting at something that wasn't there. "Please, Carson, we need to know."

Carson nodded, his insane stare falling toward the floor. He mumbled quickly as though needed to get through this. As though if he said the words fast enough then no one would hear them. "Rodney's been injected with an Ancient substance called _nitra_. It's similar to Nitroglycerin. It's used in cardiac patients, but causes headaches, confusion, and fainting, and he got more than a regular dose. It's not a lethal amount, but it is enough to take him out for a while. The Ancient compound is less potent and dangerous than Nitro, which is why we switched to it, but it still packs a punch and shouldn't be administered to anyone unless necessary. He'll be out for a few hours and even then a bit shaky, confused, and in pain." He stopped suddenly, moaning as he stared back at his friend. His breathing quickened, almost to the point of hyperventilating.

"I do not understand," Teyla slowly rubbed his back as she spoke. "How did this happen?"

Carson stared back at his medical bag as though it had betrayed him, then back at his hands as though they too were his enemies. "I did it," he mumbled. "I don't understand, but I know I did. I remember it now, though I didn't before. I thought I had given him something entirely different for the shock and his exhaustion, but there's no reason I should have confused medicines. They're color coded to prevent that. I…I must have…I did it on purpose. I remember that now, but I can't think why. He's my best friend. My…Bloody hell…"

Now he really was hyperventilating. Teyla reached into her vest, pulling out a bag and holding it out to him. For a moment there was nothing but the sound of it being inflated in and out in short bursts, the breaths gradually slowing down. Eventually, he finally managed to get control. He was crying, Ronon realized, leaning into Teyla's hold. "I could have killed him. My own friend. He trusted me and I could have…"

Rodney was motionless now, not hearing any of the confession. Ronon watched the injured man carefully, but his words were directed at Carson. "Why would you do this?" Was he aiming his gun at the wrong person?

There was movement from behind as the woman shifted around. Ronon tilted his weapon slightly to remind her it was still aimed. She finished standing up, but remained motionless. "It's the dark," she whispered. "It makes you do things, though you don't realize it at first. It turns friend against friend and makes even the most loyal question one another. It was afraid of him. It thought he'd find a way out, but it wanted to keep you here, keep all of you here until there was no one left to keep."

There was silence as her words sunk in. True or not, what she was proposing…Ronon had a flash of a wooden board slamming against Sheppard's head. Ronon had been holding the board. Something about that memory…It felt more real than the one he had had before, the one he had shared with the others.

Teyla's voice broke the silence. "I do not understand. Rodney had headaches before you gave him the medicine."

It was hard to understand anything Carson was saying between sobs. "Aye, but they weren't as serious, just the shock and exhaustion. He would have been fine soon enough. That must be why I used the _nitra_. Its effects matched the symptoms he had already. What have I done? I've doomed us to this place, haven't I? I nay deserve…I've…Bloody hell."

"So what are we saying?" Ronon asked, surveying the room. "We can't trust each other?"

Carson offered no answer, his hand shaking as he breathed once more through the bag. "What the hell did I do?" he kept asking himself.

Teyla continued to pat his back consolingly as she turned to the stranger. "I do not understand. How do you know all of this? How have you been watching us?"

"The monitors upstairs see everything, and then what they cannot see, the dark relates to me."

Ronon was amazed at how calm Teyla could stay during all of this, but he knew that she was as horrified as he was. The two of them were warriors, trained to hide their inner turmoil in times of danger. Watching Lorne he wondered about the stairs and the fall, knowing deep down that Teyla had pushed him just as Ronon had attacked Sheppard and Carson had poisoned Rodney. They were a team, and as such they depended on loyalty and trust to find them to safety time and again, but how could they trust one another now? It was that Wraith planet all over again, the one where they had hallucinated attacks and had actually been fighting one another, only this time they weren't lost to false worlds. They were aware enough to know what was happening and who was attacking.

Marching back to the stranger, he pushed her against the wall, growling, "What is this dark? How do we fight it?"

"You don't," she cried, trying to force herself free, but he only tightened his grip. "Let go. Let go!"

"Why does it tell you about us? Are you helping it?"

"No! I hate the dark! I hate it! Leave me alone! I can't help you."

There was a soft moan from beside them where Sheppard was shifting slightly. Teyla was at his side first. Carson continued to sit on the edge of the bed, frozen in place and staring at nothing.

"Carson!" Teyla called, snapping him from his reverie.

"Right, of course." He forced himself up, coming to the Colonel's side with a fake smile. It wouldn't fool anyone, especially not with the tear stained cheeks.

"What happened?" Sheppard asked. "Feel like I got run over by a…" Then his eyes widened. "Ronon! Where's Ronon?"

"He's right here, Colonel. Now calm yourself before you get hurt."

Sheppard held his head, as though he could ward away the pain with the touch.

"Ronon attacked me," he said through clenched teeth. "Damn bastard attacked me. What did you do that for?" His eyes were shut tight, unwilling to open for fear of causing more pain.

Carson grabbed his arm and started taking his pulse. "Well at least we know your memory hasn't been affected."

Ronon just stood there with no answer to give. He had promised himself he'd keep his team safe, and instead he had been the one to attack one of them. It was too much to take in. "Sorry," Ronon finally said, knowing he would never find the right words.

"Sorry?" Sheppard asked incredulously. He looked up for the first time, noticing how Ronon held a stranger up to the wall. Turning his gaze, his eyes fell on the unconscious Rodney. "What the…? Rodney?"

He looked up to Carson, demanding answers. "What hap…?" he stopped, noticing Carson's soaked face for the first time, and Teyla's worried expression. "Is he going to be okay?" he asked in a calmer voice, looking back down at his sleeping friend.

"Aye, no thanks to me," was Carson's subdued reply.

* * *

Sheppard stared at his team, wondering just how FUBAR the mission had gone since Ronon knocked him out. His head pounded fiercely, as though a woodpecker had made a nest in his brain. He was nauseated, tired, and very confused.

"What do you mean 'no thanks to you'? What's wrong with him?"

"Ronon and Teyla can explain after I'm done checking you over."

There was something definitely wrong with Carson. He was acting disturbed, not unlike he had after the Hoff incident, if not more.

His hands were shaking, his eyes wet, and he kept fumbling with the various instruments. Teyla was watching him closely, Sheppard realized, and her gaze wasn't just worried, it was cautious, as if she didn't trust him. Ronon, though he had a stranger held firmly in his grasp, was also watching the doctor from the corner of his eye. What had happened here?

"Someone start explaining. Now."

He reached over for Rodney's hand, holding it in his own. Even in sleep, Rodney's forehead was creased with pain, his body trembling. "You'll be okay, buddy," he consoled.

Teyla was shaken up, not meeting John's eyes as she told the story of what they had discovered. She left nothing out. She explained how she had pushed Lorne down the stairs, and how she realized Ronon must have attacked John. Then she paused, looking uneasily at Carson.

"I poisoned Rodney," Carson explained for her.

John held tighter to Rodney's hand, but said nothing. He motioned for Teyla to continue. She explained about the stranger that was watching them, warning of the dark. How she claimed the dark had forced them to do these terrible deeds.

John was no fool. He saw the situation for what it was immediately. Whatever was here, whatever was controlling them, it had as good as taken Rodney out, which meant that unless John could work the controls upstairs, they'd be trapped. According to the woman, they'd eventually kill one another.

He watched her, trying to decipher who she could be and what her motivations were. How much she wasn't telling them.

"Let her down," he ordered, coming to his feet with Teyla's assistance despite Carson's unusually half-hearted objections.

"It was not your fault," he heard Teyla telling Carson.

Slowly John approached her, reaching out his hand. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, but I'm guessing you already know that. Who are you?"

The woman visibly relaxed as Ronon let her go. He backed slowly away, aiming his weapon at her.

"I am Meri, last survivor of Enma," she answered sadly.

"Well Meri, here's the deal. You're going to tell us everything and in return I'm not going to let Ronon kill you. What do you say?"

Meri glanced at the Satedan with her creepy black eyes. "We are all dead anyway. Why should I help you?"

"Something tells me you've seen enough death for a lifetime. Do you really want to see more?"

"It will know that I have told you. It will torture me."

"We'll protect you."

"You cannot. Don't you see? Don't you understand what the dark can do? It killed everyone. Everyone!" She lowered herself to the floor, sobbing.

Teyla stepped forward, and Sheppard realized maybe a gentle hand was just what they needed. "You have seen terrible things, Meri, and I am sorry for your pain. But, please, we need your help if we are to escape. Help us and we will help you."

"I can't," she cried.

"Yes, you can," Sheppard interrupted, ignoring his pounding head. "You know you can. Do you really want to die here, knowing you could have saved us, knowing there was a chance you could have escaped? Help us. Tell us what is happening."

Meri sniffled loudly, brushing away tears with her sleeve. Then she gave a slight nod. "If you insist," she replied at last.

**TBC**

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Things are slowly revealing themselves. I hope you're enjoying this!  



	5. The Dark

We're nearing the end here. This is just a short chapter but the next (and final) one will be much longer than all the others. It's an exposition chapter at first, but the team shows up again at the end. I hope you enjoy! Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews!

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**Chapter 5.**

My name is Meri and I am the last survivor of Enma. My people were once part of a great nation, prospering in a galaxy far beyond this world. They traveled here in hopes of a new home after having destroyed their own, arriving nearly one thousand cycles ago.

At first, there was peace, but soon came power, politics, and eventually war. In less than twenty cycles, more than half of Enma's population had been killed, maimed, or driven insane. At the center of this war was technology and those who would wield it for their own ends. The last emperor ordered a final assault on those he deemed dissidents, sending three thousand men, women, and children to their graves in a single night. It was on this night that the dark was born.

Many believed that the souls of those murdered made up the dark. They prowled as one creature through the land, seeking revenge for what had been done to them. Others wondered if the dark was a technological creation, made by those that would find power at all costs.

They say the truth is often a mix of different views, somewhere between what everyone believes and what really is. The dark was no exception. It had found consciousness the night of the massacre, created by a Holographic Specialist. He had found a way to interface the mind with the computer, so that a hologram was no longer visible to all, but only to the person who conjured it. But the link between the mind and computer had an unknown consequence, giving birth to a new creature that was neither man nor machine and had no body.

The dark did not feel at first. It had no concept of life or death, love or betrayal. It merely was. Its creator was dead from the instant the dark was born, his brain fried, but the dark felt neither remorse nor sorrow. It wandered aimlessly as energy, passing through minds, slowly understanding the world through the view of others. Not limited by a body, it could be in multiple places at once, and, it found, it could make anyone see what it wanted them to see.

That night, the dark traveled into the body of an old man that it found weeping. The emotion was strong within him and the dark felt compassion for the first time. The dark took the form of a beautiful woman with curly blond hair, an image from the old man's mind from a life long since lost. The man did not question his late wife's presence, though he knew it was not real. Perhaps he had hallucinated her before.

"You will be okay," the dark told him, but the man shook his head sadly.

"No, it will never be okay. The soldiers are coming."

The dark did not understand what the old man meant, so it sought clarification. "Who are the soldiers?"

"The ones that will kill my family," the old man responded. "I am but a weak fool with no way to protect them. Many of us will die tonight. I have waited, it is true, to move to the great beyond, but my family was never to go with me. Not so soon."

"Why don't you run?"

"They have us surrounded, there is nowhere to go."

"Then I will stay with you," the dark assured him.

When the soldiers came, the dark waited until the old man was dead, while visiting many of the others. It felt pain, hurt, betrayal, and rage. It learned of anger, revenge, and despair. Through a soldier's eyes, it discovered hatred and murder. It thought of the old man that had died so unfairly, and it did not want to grieve for this person that it barely knew. So it held to the thoughts of the soldier, deciding to harden itself. To thrive on death rather than be saddened by it.

The war raged on as many continued to die. Stories of a strange creature that visited the dead, that made one think horrible thoughts, started to pass among my people. They were afraid, but they were also controlled. The dark could make them angry. The dark could make them kill, and if it wanted, make them forget that they had ever done such an act. Distrust and anger covered the land with blood.

The ring that transported my people from one world to another would not activate, as though something were controlling it. Their spaceships failed them. There was no way for those alive to leave Enma and thus escape the dark.

There was a mansion beneath the ground, once used to shelter the Emperor, his family, and his servants. It was decided that a select group of survivors would hide, convinced the darkness could not find them there, could not get past their security measures. After one hundred cycles, they would return to the surface in the hope that they would be safe once again.

The creature prowled the lands until all were dead, but sensed that more lived below the ground. Its taste for blood had not been quenched, and it wanted more. The creature, born of a computer, could inhabit any machine. For many cycles, it tried to do so, having located the bunker, but there were fields and safeties that kept it from moving forward. Until at last, one day, it managed to override the controls.

With twenty men, women, and children sheltered there, it knew that its feast would be small. The dark contented itself with small things, non-lethal attacks and injuries, mysteries. At first, the survivors suspected one of their own, but once people started to die, murdered by friends and family, they knew that the dark had returned. It would kill them all and none of them could leave the bunker until a hundred cycles had passed.

A baby was born to one of the last two survivors. The mother placed it in the nursery and slept by her child's side, afraid not for her own life, but for that of her second daughter's. The first one had already been killed. That night the two survivors died, but the dark spared the life of the baby.

I did not know what the dark was. It came to me as my sister, wanting to play. There was something strange about her, and although I was young, I could sense a certain dementedness to my companion. We played together, ate together, and conversed about whatever she wished. For many years she was my sister, until at last I learned the truth.

In the computer room above, I found records left behind by my people, the history of my world. It was then that she told me about history from her view, about the terrible crimes she had committed. She told me she would keep me company, though, and that she would not harm me. She never let me leave the bunker for fear I would find a way off of this world. Occasionally, I felt her anger, and she made me hurt myself.

From that point on, I lived here as a prisoner, afraid of the dark, but drawn to its companionship. I was so very alone, you see.

And then you arrived, strangers from another world, walking through our graves and studying our technology. The dark led six of you here, thirsty for your blood. It enjoyed putting images of the previous massacres in your minds, watching how easily you scared. It sensed your friendship and loyalty, and longed to break it if only to prove it could. I believe it is not done trying. It bid me to hide upstairs where I could see you on the monitors, telling me that if I exposed myself it would kill everyone here in an instant, whereas if I were silent it would spare me a second companion of my choosing.

I do not defend my actions, but I was afraid and lonely. I did what it told me, not arguing. Now that you have found me, I do not know what it will do next.

Above us, your friends look for you, but they are also taken by the dark. Two are dead already, and even now the dark is manipulating their minds, convincing them to stop looking. Yet your friends are stubborn, and they will not leave.

You asked me for information as though you thought I could tell you how to destroy it. I do not know how. You wish to know how to leave, but even I cannot. You think you are safer, now that you know what is happening, but I believe you have never been in more danger. And now I have told you all that I know. Kill me if you wish. If you do not, I'm sure the dark will have you do so later.

* * *

The room was silent when Meri finished her story. Despite his massive headache, Sheppard kept note of each explanation, searching for any information that could help them destroy the dark, but no new ideas came to him. All he got from her tale was the sense she was telling the truth. Turning back to the injured, he watched them carefully, trying to decide what to do about them. He couldn't picture himself hurting any of his team, but if something was controlling him, would he be able to fight it? 

It was Ronon who stepped forward first, turning his gun away from Meri and on the general population of the room. He moved between Rodney and Lorne, careful not to step on any of the medical materials in the way.

"Move." He motioned Carson, Sheppard, and Teyla toward the door.

"Whoa there, buddy. Did you just hear what she was saying?" Sheppard asked.

"Yeah, and I'm going to protect these two. Don't try anything or I'll shoot you. Now move."

Sheppard's P-90 was feet away from him, taken off when he had been injured. Unarmed, he slowly moved back as instructed, not taking his eyes off of anyone. Teyla, on the other hand, still had her weapon and kept it pointed at Ronon.

"How do we know you will not harm them or us? You are also under the influence of this creature."

"I'll fight it."

Carson remained silent during the interchange, backing to the wall as ordered. He slouched to the ground, a defeated man, still horrified by his actions, as he likely would be for a while. Meri, tears soaking her face, tentatively patted Carson's shoulder. "I am sorry," she whispered.

Satisfied Carson wasn't up to anything, Sheppard watched Ronon and Teyla carefully. Any moment now, he could see them shooting each other, and that fear burned within him. He couldn't just stand back and watch this.

"Listen to me, the only way we're going to get out of this is if we can trust one another. Pointing guns isn't going to do that."

"No one's hurting McKay. I promised him," Ronon replied.

Teyla was the one to respond. "None of us wish to hurt him, Ronon. He is our friend."

"And," Sheppard interjected, "our only way out of here. Don't forget that!"

Ronon kept his gun level, showing no willingness to back down. "Which is why I'm going to protect him. Put your gun down, now."

"I will do no such thing. Not until you do the same."

"Not happening."

Sheppard could see Ronon and Teyla's hold tighten at the same time. "Stop this. Both of you. We're a team. Remember?"

Neither of them was listening anymore. They remained motionless, daring the other to make the first move. John had seen those expressions before, back when Ford had taken them captive and given them the enzyme. Scared as they were, there was some part of them enjoying the fight, and that more than anything said Meri was speaking the truth. Something was controlling them. Heightening their emotions, confusing them until it came to blows.

"Guns down, now!" John shouted. "Teyla, Ronon! Fight it. Don't let it control you."

There was a soft moan on the bed as Lorne woke up from the noise.

Then Rodney moved, holding his head and crying "ow".

Carson was on his feet in an instant, heading toward his patients, but Ronon and Teyla both turned their guns on him at the same time. "Stop," Ronon commanded.

"I will not. Those are my patients and I'm going to see to them. Out of my way." He pushed Ronon's gun to the side. John ducked, just in case, but the weapon never went off. Teyla and Ronon shuffled right, giving Carson more room. Something seemed to break in their expression, as if a strange cloud that had been hovering over them had lessened, allowing them to see reason.

"Watch him," Ronon told Teyla, for some reason willing to trust her. "Make sure he doesn't do anything questionable."

Teyla had no more medical knowledge than anyone else in the room, but she nodded, moving toward Carson and lowering her gun. "Tell me exactly what you are doing," she said.

"Good." John breathed a sigh of relief. "I suggest all of us keep an eye on everyone else. When Rodney is well enough, all of us will go upstairs together and check out the computers. I don't think it can affect us as easily if we're all in one place watching for anything suspicious."

There was general agreement, though Ronon's gun remained at the ready.

"Uh, what's going on , Sir?" Lorne asked, trying to ease himself up so he could look at Sheppard, but Carson pushed him back almost immediately.

"Just stay still, you've been hurt."

"Yeah, I remember. Pushed. But, uh, what's going on here?"

"Don't worry about it, Major. Just do as the doc says."

Lorne looked ready to argue, glancing at Ronon's gun, Meri, and Rodney. John could imagine the questions he wanted to ask, but Lorne was a soldier and knew to do as he was told. "Yes, Sir."

"Well I want to know what's happening," Rodney muttered between clenched teeth. He was sitting up now, cradling his head within his palms, and shaking from the pain.

"What's all this about not trusting Carson?" He glanced at Ronon and Teyla, apparently having heard most of the conversation.

"Nothing to worry about right now," Carson answered, his expression filled with guilt. "How're you feeling?"

"Terrible. It feels like a sharp-toothed rat somehow crawled into my head and started gnawing on my brain."

Sheppard flinched at the description, wishing he could do something. He hated seeing any of his team in pain. Unwilling to stay in the background, he tried moving to Rodney's side, but Ronon growled, pointing his gun straight at Sheppard's chest. "Stay where you are."

"I'm going to him, Ronon, and you're not going to stop me. Understood?"

Ronon seemed to contemplate this for a moment, his eyes narrowed in distrust. Finally, he nodded slightly, warning, "Don't try anything."

Sheppard raced to his friend's side. "It's going to hurt for a while, but you should feel better soon."

"Okay, that's it, someone tell me what's happening." Rodney waved his hands in the air. "Why is he," he pointed vigorously at the Satedan, "holding everyone at gun point?" Then he noticed Teyla's gun to. "Or rather, why are both of them…" he wound his hands in the air apparently at a loss for words. His eyes twisted with the movement. He moaned, falling back against the wall.

"We're being controlled," Sheppard explained. "Teyla pushed Lorne, and Ronon attacked me. If we don't get out of here soon, whatever is out there could take us over completely."

Rodney, breathing loudly to ward off the pain, gazed in horror at his teammates. "What are you saying, that we'd all try to kill each other?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Great!" Rodney threw his arms up in the air once more. "You so better not shoot me again!" He pointed accusingly at Sheppard. "Remember how long it took me to recover the last time?"

It was a completely, annoyingly Rodney response. "I'm not going to shoot you, Rodney."

"Sure you're not."

Ronon took a step closer, still aiming his gun. "He won't. I won't let him."

Sheppard had always known the large man to be intimidating, but rarely was Ronon's aggression aimed at him. Despite himself, he took a step back. "Easy there, buddy. No one's trying to shoot anyone yet."

"_Yet_," was Ronon's curt reply.

** TBC**

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I'm leaving them in a tight spot for now, but I'll post the last chapter tomorrow. :) I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am enjoying writing it.**  
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	6. Team Dynamics

Thank you so much for reading this through to the end. Enjoy!!!! Sorry for the double alert, I loaded the wrong draft the first time.

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Chapter 6 

Rodney had felt many different types of pain in his life, but two stood out far worse than all the others: the gunshot wound John had given him months ago and his current headache. He was seeing double of everything, including a stranger who may or may not have just been his imagination. Not that there was any time to dwell on this. Rodney didn't know how many details he was still missing, but he'd caught enough to understand. Holding back his nausea and doing his best to ignore the pain, he started to get up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Carson asked as Rodney shook away his hold.

"We have to get out of here."

"Aye, we do, but you're not in any condition--"

"He's right," Sheppard interrupted. Rodney wasn't sure if Sheppard was wobbling in place from his concussion, or if Rodney's vision was playing more games with him. "We've wasted enough time in this dump. Ronon, you and Teyla secure Lorne so we can get him up the stairs. Carson, you--"

"No, I'm not lowering my gun."

Rodney threw his hands into the air despite the extra dizziness it caused him, answering Ronon in a loud, panicked voice. "Yes, because pointing your gun at us is going to keep people from getting injured. Ever stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, you'd be the one doing the shooting? Tell me that it's at least set to stun."

Ronon shrugged. "Teyla and Carson can carry Lorne."

"That answers the first question, what about the second? Somehow I think that's a little more important than--"

"Set it to stun, Ronon," Sheppard interrupted, his voice raised to a near shout. "Carson, Teyla, secure Lorne for transport. Rodney, keep your sidearm ready." Sheppard leaned low, taking his P-90 from the floor as Rodney checked that his Berretta was still on his thigh. He wasn't going to be much of a shot with this headache, but he was really hoping not to have to use it anyway. Not on his friends. Not on his family.

"I'm fairly sure I can get up on my own," Lorne offered.

"No you can't. You'll be staying still until I get a better look at your back, Major." Carson's expression left little room for argument.

_"He'll kill you," _someone whispered. Rodney whipped around, but saw no one. _"But only if you don't kill him first." _

Rodney shivered, realizing the dark was in his head, though he had no clue which "him" the voice was referring to.

Shaking the thought away, and willing himself the courage to continue, Rodney helped gather their scattered possessions together. A moment later, they were ready to venture upstairs. Rodney took a few steps when he saw her.

The young girl from his nightmares stared back at him, holding up her doll. "When Ronon's done with you, you won't be much better off."

_No one's there_, he told himself firmly, though he could feel her breathy voice against his skin. He pushed past her, not daring to look back.

The stranger, Sheppard said her name was Meri, walked in front of them, Ronon keeping a closer watch on her than anyone else. Her eyes, with their absence of color and rich blackness, were creepy, soulless.

The dark had stopped whispering to him, but he couldn't shake the need to raise his gun and shoot Ronon. Ronon had the dark in him and his gun had yet to lower. What if Ronon killed them all? Maybe if Rodney just injured him, then they could get out of here alive. Yes, just injure. That made sense, right?

_No!_ He caught his hand reaching to his holster, and forced himself to breathe. Ronon wasn't the enemy. His team wasn't the enemy.

They reached the stairs, and Rodney groaned. He could barely stand up, much less crawl up the narrow path. He watched as Teyla and Carson maneuvered Lorne around the curves. Both of them were sweating. Then John started his ascent, holding fiercely to the rail and wobbling all the way. One foot missed and Rodney flinched, sure John would come crashing down. It wasn't exactly a short distance and it was amazing Lorne hadn't broken his neck when he'd fallen.

"John!" Teyla screamed.

John caught himself and then waved her reaching hands away from him.

"You two, go." Ronon motioned with his gun for Rodney and Meri to take the lead.

Rodney's eyes narrowed. "How do I know you won't shoot me in the back?"

"Because."

"Is that supposed to be some kind of an answer, because--"

"Move it, McKay," Ronon snarled. Rodney wanted to comply, but there was an image of him falling down the stairs, a gun blast on his back, imprinted in his mind. It wouldn't shake away.

"No. You first."

Ronon came toe to toe with him, looking positively feral. "I said go."

Rodney was terrified, but something held him in place. "And I--"

"Rodney!" Sheppard shouted, "Snap out of it and keep moving. Ronon, shoot him and I shoot you, got it?" His P-90 was aimed right at Ronon's chest, emphasizing his point.

Reluctantly, Rodney began to climb. He really believed that this was the final moment--that he'd die there. He knew Sheppard couldn't offer enough protection. Yet somehow he made it to the last step and over the threshold. Moaning, he fell against the nearest wall. He was so dizzy, and in pain. He felt confused and so many other things all at once. He should trust Ronon. Deep down, he knew that, so why couldn't he get it through his head?

Teyla screamed, and Rodney swung around, immediately wishing he hadn't. The movement nearly cost him his consciousness again. Ronon's firm grip stabilized him. Trying to focus his eyes, Rodney looked around for whatever had caused the disturbance.

Teyla was trembling. She stared at the floor, backing slowly away as if something was there, approaching her.

"It's not real," John assured her.

"Do you not see it?" Teyla asked. "The whole floor is flooded with blood. We must…" she yelped, jumping back.

Sheppard took that moment to grab her. "It's not real!"

Teyla fought John's hold, terrified. "We need to find another way out. We cannot…"

"Trust me." John tightened his grip, forcing her to look into his eyes, silently telling her what could never be said aloud. "Trust me," he repeated in a gentler voice.

After a long held breath, Teyla nodded, breaking loose of John's hold. She stared at the floor, and Rodney could tell that she was no longer hallucinating. "Forgive me, I forgot myself."

"Just keep fighting it," John told her, but his words were directed at all of them.

They continued forward in a tight cluster, Ronon insisting on taking their six. _"He'll kill you yet," _the dark whispered, though it was more a thought than a voice. Rodney stared at the wall as he walked. It was taking all he had not to reach for his gun, though he knew if he did, Ronon would be the quicker draw anyway.

They were almost to the room, when Rodney saw it. An iratus bug hanging on one of the torches. It leapt forward, toward John, and Rodney reacted in an instant, raising his gun and shouting, "Look out!" He managed a shot before Ronon grabbed his hand, easily removing the sidearm.

Someone screamed, cursing, and with horror Rodney looked up to see crimson staining John's shirt.

"Oh crap, oh crap." Rodney tried to push free from Ronon's hold, but the Satedan was holding on tight. "Let me get to him, you big oaf!"

Teyla had caught Sheppard mid fall and was now lowering him to the floor. Meanwhile, Carson was racing through his bag, grabbing the necessary equipment while muttering to himself.

"It's not bad," Sheppard assured them, though he kept wincing.

Ronon still hadn't let go. Why hadn't he let go? Rodney looked up to see Ronon glaring down at him. "Stop moving or I kill you."

"Yes, because killing solves everything!"

"It might." Rodney saw the bloodlust in Ronon's gaze and it petrified him.

Trembling, Rodney stopped trying to wiggle free. "Whoa, whoa. Snap out of it, Ronon. Team, remember? You don't want to kill me."

Ronon's grip tightened.

"Ronon!" Teyla shouted.

Both Rodney and Ronon turned to her. Her face was stained with John's blood. Beside her, Carson was cutting away Sheppard's clothes, assuring him he'd be okay.

Rodney felt Ronon release him, and before anything more could hold him back, he raced to John's side. "He's okay, right? I mean, I didn't…."

"You took a chunk out of his side, Rodney, that doesn't make him bloody okay," Carson yelled.

Stricken, Rodney debated running away, finding a place where he couldn't cause any more trouble. It was only his refusal to leave an injured John alone that kept him in place.

John reached for Rodney's hand, and Rodney was all too happy to offer it. Only John didn't hold it, he grabbed it, as tightly as he could given his injuries. "Keep it together, McKay," Sheppard muttered through gritted teeth.

Rodney swept his hand away. "Well excuse me for just trying to save your life."

"You shot me, Rodney! That hardly qualifies…" Rodney could see Sheppard struggling not to lose his temper. He bit down on his lip, and then finally answered in a cool, commanding voices. "Concentrate on getting us out of here and I'll concentrate on keeping myself safe, okay?"

Rodney glared. What had everyone expected him to do? Just let the bug attack Sheppard? "Selfless bastard. Always risking your life for others and never caring about what we'd do if you died. See if I try to save you again. You just die for all I care!" The words left his mouth before he could stop them. He knew he didn't mean them, but his stomach was a tight ball and he was angry, tired, and hurting.

Sheppard looked like he was ready to breathe fire. He glared, shaking from anger or pain, Rodney wasn't sure which. Viciously John pushed Carson away and lunged. Rodney was ready to fight back, but Teyla had grabbed the colonel's arm, holding him back.

"Stop this. Both of you," Teyla demanded, and Rodney could see that she too was fighting for control.

Meri stepped forward, her head held high. "The dark can sense how close you are to escaping. It's doubling its efforts. Fight it!"

_No!_ Rodney screamed within himself. It was so hard to keep sight of reality. Why? And that stupid rat kept gnawing, his head screaming for relief.

Carson moved to his bag, and began working again. "Try something like that again, Colonel, and I will sedate you."

"We're almost there," John said softly. "Let's just do this."

Carson finished tying the bandage, then looked up. "Sorry for snapping at you, Rodney. You took a chunk out of him, but I think you managed to avoid anything major. I won't know for sure until we get him to the infirmary, but I think he'll recover."

Rodney had been frozen in place, watching the scene as though he were no longer a part of it. At Carson's words, though, he came back, letting relief wash over him.

They had to reorganize if they wanted to continue forward as one unit. Ronon reluctantly returned Rodney's gun as Meri and Carson lifted Lorne's stretcher. A moment later, Teyla and Rodney had John standing up and moving. It was like the blind leading the blind, since Rodney could hardly walk himself. Yet somehow they made it.

The computer room was a tight fit for three people, much less seven. They left the door open, settling for Lorne, Carson, John, and Teyla to stay outside. Ronon made Meri stay against the wall, his distrust evident.

Rodney looked back, watching John fight through his pain. He was pale, but conscious. Noticing Rodney's gaze, he stared back. "Get moving, McKay."

His hands sweaty and his heart beating faster than a cheetah could run, Rodney grabbed his laptop and set to work. Problem was, most of the letters were fuzzy and he could hardly tell what was going on. He leaned over, pressing a few buttons while steadying himself on the console. Teyla had given him all the details he had missed, most notably that the dark could merge with any machine. So how was he supposed to use computers to solve this problem? They were screwed.

He had to try, though. "You," he pointed at the woman, "get over here and help me."

Ronon growled at this, but Rodney could care less about his argument.

"If I'm going to do this, I need someone to tell me what these letters say. She can read the language which is a far cry from the rest of you, not to mention you're too busy pointing your weapon at all of us."

"Fine."

Meri walked slowly to the console, gazing unsure at her captors. She took a seat on one of the stools and in a timid voice asked, "What do you need?"

Rodney could see enough of the letters to know she was reading the inscriptions correctly, and that was at least one thing in their favor. It was important to count in situations like these, when nothing seemed to go right.

"Rodney!" Teyla screamed. He whipped around, just on time to see a bolt of red light. Teyla caught Carson halfway to the ground.

"What happened?" Rodney demanded. "Why'd you shoot him?" He glanced at Ronon's smoking gun, then back to the unconscious doctor.

"He was going to shoot you," Ronon answered.

"Seriously, you had it set for stun right? Tell me that was stun because if you just killed Carson, even if he was going to shoot me, I just…"

"It was stun. Get back to work."

Rodney continued to stare at Carson's motionless body. "You shot, Carson. Crap, you shot, Carson."

"So?" Ronon asked, and Rodney could see there was no remorse in his eyes. "Stun isn't lethal."

"No, but he's our medic and in case you haven't noticed we have injured here!" Rodney shouted. "Are you a complete moron or are you just good at acting like one?"

Ronon's glare was as a thousand daggers. "Get to work, or I shoot you too."

"And trap us all!" Rodney found himself reaching for his own gun. "Both of you. Get out of here now."

"Rodney!" Rodney was fairly sure that John had meant to shout, but his voice was weak. Concussions and gunshots had their way of doing that, and Rodney wondered if his guilt for the latter would ever abate.

"No, this isn't the dark, or whatever the hell that creature is, this is me. I need both of you," and he motioned to Meri and Ronon, "to leave, now."

"Why?" Ronon asked, now aiming at Rodney.

"Because I can't work while wondering if someone is going to shoot me. If I lock myself in here then none of you can get to me and I can work in peace."

"And if you collapse?" Sheppard asked. "Or the dark convinces you to turn that gun on yourself?"

Rodney couldn't pretend he hadn't thought of that, but the need to lock himself in was great. He couldn't work like this. He couldn't breathe like this. "I won't let that happen," he said, tightening his grip on the console.

"No," Sheppard shook his head. "It's too dangerous. Keep working. We do this together or I don't think we'll be able to do it at all."

Rodney slowly leveled his weapon, knowing Ronon was still targeting him. Teyla raised her own in response.

"I won't let any of you kill me." Rodney knew his hand was shaking, but he didn't care. "And I won't tell any of you again. Go away and leave me be."

"This is not you, Rodney." Teyla took a tentative step forward. Rodney almost fired, but didn't. "This is not any of you. Remember, we have to trust one another."

"The dark won't let you," Meri answered. Her voice was monotone and she stared awkwardly at the ceiling. "If you leave, it loses everything. It loses me."

Teyla, Ronon, and Rodney paused their standoff to watch her as she stepped between their lines of fire. "I won't go with them," she called. "I'll stay with you if you let them go."

At first Rodney was confused, trying to understand what she was saying. Then he got it. She wasn't talking to them. She was talking to the dark.

The creepy girl from his dreams appeared once more, but judging by the gasps, he wasn't the only one that saw her. "You want to abandon me," the girl accused in her breathy, singsong voice.

"Yes, but I will stay if it will save them."

"Why?" the girl asked, staring incredulously at Meri.

Meri wept softly, shaking. "Because I've known too much death," she answered, nodding slightly to Sheppard as she did so.

"Death. Anger. Hurt," the girl smiled maniacally, "These are food to me."

"Only because you chose it to be so," Meri answered sadly.

Rodney took a tentative step back, unsure what was going on. He turned to the controls, wondering if a creature that could be multiple places at once could ever truly be distracted. His answer came in a bolt. After pressing two wires together he was tossed backward, colliding against a console. It was too much for him and he lost consciousness.

…

"No!" Meri shouted as Rodney flew across the room, knocked out. The wires, John realized. The dark was in the machine, so it was also in the wires. It was getting desperate.

Teyla raced to Rodney's side. John watched as she felt for his pulse, feeling her relief as his own. He too wanted to race to Rodney, to check him over and make sure he was alive, but he was concussed and bleeding, dizzy and barely conscious. Slowly, he moved into a crawling position, testing the level of pain it caused him. He reacted as he suspected, ripples of pain tearing through his body, consuming him. But then he took one step and then another until at last his hand was on Rodney's shoulder.

"He is breathing and his pulse is weak," Teyla explained in a whisper, but her gaze was on the girl and Meri. John had forgotten about that conversation, so consumed was he by the need to help Rodney.

"You would deceive me!" the girl was yelling. "You would escape with them the moment you had the chance."

"No," Meri cried. "No. I would stay here for them."

"You are weak." The girl stepped forward, tossing aside her beaten doll. Though she was short, she stared up at Meri. "You will watch them all die."

"You do not want this!" It was Teyla, moving cautiously forward, her voice soothing but panicked.

"You do not know what I want!" the dark cried.

"No," Teyla told the dark, "I do not know what you want, is this really it? Can you honestly say that all of this is what you wanted?"

Before the girl could answer, Meri whispered, "You want to never feel again. You watched the old man die and you thought that if you made death a good thing then it wouldn't hurt anymore. But it does, doesn't it? So many died that night and now you've tried to drown out their screams with more screams, but it's only made things worse."

"Quiet!" the girl shouted, and simultaneously all the lights went out. A faint glow emanated from the child. "I do not care what you think, you stupid woman." But the girl held her hands to ears as if trying to ward away some unheard sound.

"I know your thoughts; you've always shared them with me. You saved me because I was innocent, because I was too young to hate," Meri persisted.

"I saved you," the girl answered, as though her words were bile on her tongue, "because there was no one else."

Meri trembled, but pushed on. "I see it at night, in the dreams you share with me. You still think about them. You wished you could help them."

"Man is nothing but anger, betrayal, and hate," the girl spat.

"Yet you sense the loyalty and friendship of these strangers, don't you? You sense the goodness, also, in those that work endlessly to free them. You knew, even as you were destroying my people, that there was good within us. Why didn't you latch onto that? Once, long ago, you felt compassion."

"That was my mistake!"

"Or your greatest triumph," Teyla added, taking another cautious step. "You cannot undo what has been done, but you can do good now. I suspect that would go a long way in lessening your pain."

The girl laughed maniacally, flames growing around her, lighting the darkened room. But then the flames dimmed and the girl's face softened. She stared at Meri, tilting her head quizzically. "If I killed them, you would hate me even more?" she asked, and Sheppard realized she was in Meri's mind, hearing her thoughts as well as her spoken word.

"Yes," Meri answered. "I would sooner kill myself than stay with you any longer. Unless you were willing to spare them."

The girl gazed at everyone around her, then ran to pick up the doll she had tossed away. She held it away from her, as though unsure whether she should hug it or toss it away once more. "I do not want to be alone," she said.

"You don't have to be," Meri answered.

"Hold on." Sheppard tightened his hold on Rodney's hand, while facing Meri. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to sacrifice yourself for us." He realized his breathing was labored, his words coming out in short bursts.

"Yes, I do," Meri answered sadly. "I have nothing else."

"There has to be another way," Teyla said, but the girl glared at her in return.

"No!" For a moment Sheppard thought the dark was going to kill them all as the flames rose again, filling the room with smoke, but then he saw the tears glistening on the girl's face. "It is the only term I will accept."

The fires died. The lights returned to the room and the hallway, but they were no longer in the mansion. The white walls were plain, vacant of any decorations. All that remained were the computers.

"I've turned off the holographic program. Go, before I change my mind."

Before anything more could be said, the girl disappeared in a whirl of smoke. John held tight to his wound, watching Meri carefully. "Come with us."

"No. I gave my word."

"This is not the life you want," Teyla interjected, reaching for Meri's shoulder.

"Go," she replied, brushing away her own tears. "Just go."

"No. We will not leave you behind."

Meri turned around, and John was shocked to see her angered expression. "I said go!" she shouted. "Don't you understand? You try to take me with you, and it kills all of us. Your people are injured and this is your only way out. Take it now!"

Teyla was about to object, but John, holding tightly to his wound, interrupted. "She's right. It's time for us to move out." He hated leaving her here, but the alternative was death, and he wasn't going to accept. Not now, not as long as he could help it.

Teyla looked from Meri to John and then back again, but did not speak again. A soft crackle echoed from Sheppard's earpiece. "Colonel Sheppard, do you read? Rodney?"

John reached for his radio, but Teyla was faster. "Dr. Zelenka. It is good to hear your voice."

_"Teyla? Where are you? Is everyone okay? I was just trying to bypass the controls when everything turned off!" _

"We are preparing to leave the bunker now. We will need jumpers to help with the wounded."

_"Understood. We have two waiting already. Do you need assistance getting out?" _

John glanced at the unconscious form of Carson, who seemed to be slowly waking. Rodney was going to be out for a while, and Lorne was going to be a pain to get up the stairs. As for himself, well, he was going nowhere. In fact, passing out soon sounded like the best idea he'd had in a long while. Tapping his own radio he answered, "Yes, we could use some help."

Sheppard clicked off his radio, turning to Meri. "You're sure about this?"

"There is no other way. Farewell. May you have a safe journey home." Before anyone else could say a word she backed toward the door, disappearing out of sight.

The wait for the rescue team seemed to take forever. John counted down the minutes, trying not to think about the sticky bandage covering his wound, or the fact that Rodney hadn't woken up yet. At some point, Carson had recovered enough from being stunned to march over to the two of them and start patching them up.

"You shouldn't have been moving with that wound," he chastised.

"Sorry, doc." Though Sheppard knew he'd have done the same thing over if given the same situation.

Soon, everyone was safely loaded in the jumpers. Sheppard watched McKay sleep, patting his shoulder. "You better be okay," he warned softly, before losing consciousness.

Nearby, Ronon watched over the two of them with a somber expression. The jumper raised into the night sky, and moments later, the gate lit. They were going home.

…

The infirmary was dark when Rodney woke up, not at all surprised to see his team waiting by his bedside. "Hey," he whispered. Ronon and Teyla had taken nearby seats, while Sheppard lay one cot down. He was pale and sickly looking. Rodney's stomach sank, remembering everything that had happened.

"I'm fine," Sheppard insisted, reading Rodney's mind like the open book it was.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"That's good. I, uh…"

"You shot me."

Rodney wanted to sink below his own covers, but then he saw Sheppard's grin.

"Guess we're even now."

"What about the time you shot me in the arm?"

"Well, mostly even then."

The infirmary smelled of antiseptic, which only increased Rodney's nausea. He felt somewhat numb, knowing it was from the pain medicine. The pain was still there, though, looming in the background, but his guilt kept him from complaining. He knew Sheppard was a hundred times worse off.

Across the room, Lorne was sitting up, talking animatedly to one of the nurses.

"So we escaped?" Rodney asked, feeling stupid for stating the obvious, but no one had volunteered any details.

"Yeah. Looks like everyone will make a full recovery, though the doc says we'll be stuck here for a while. Sergeants Jeb and Barka weren't so lucky on the surface."

"I'm sorry." Rodney knew how Sheppard took each death to heart.

"Meri saved us," Teyla explained sadly, holding tightly to Rodney's shoulder. "She would not allow us to help her in return."

Rodney saw the sadness in Teyla, and sensed it from everyone else. "She's still there?"

"No other choice," Ronon replied. He straddled his chair, looking more tired and worn than Rodney had witnessed in quite a while.

"Perhaps we will find a way to help her someday," Teyla offered.

There was silence in the room as everyone felt the sacrifice that had been made. It would stay with them for a while.

Ronon stood up unexpectedly, kicking his chair away. The surge of anger caused Rodney to jump back slightly, exasperating his dizziness. He didn't need a doctor to tell him that he had a concussion.

"Easy there, big guy." John looked half-dead, his words were mostly mumbles. Rodney suspected he was on the good medicine, though what the colonel was doing awake was anyone's guess.

"Sorry," Ronon answered, sitting down. "I…" He was at a loss of words, Rodney realized. Although Ronon was known for his curt replies, Rodney had never seen him like this.

"What's going on?" Rodney pushed up further in his seat, worry and curiosity feeding him energy.

"Sorry I tried fighting with you," Ronon finally said, his gaze downcast. "Sorry I wasn't able to keep you safe."

Unsure how to respond to that, Rodney exchanged quizzical glances with Teyla and John.

"You did a good job. I'm alive, aren't I?"

"Yeah. Suppose so." Though Ronon hardly seemed satisfied with the response. Truth was, neither was Rodney. They had all done things it wouldn't be easy living with.

"So when were you going to tell me they were awake?" Carson marched up between their beds and started fiddling with the equipment. Though he smiled down, squeezing Rodney's shoulder tenderly.

He moved to Sheppard, checking the wounds. "You shouldn't be awake. Not so soon after surgery."

"Couldn't help it," Sheppard replied, grinning.

"Aye, well I'll be putting you back to sleep in a moment so you better say your goodbyes now."

Teyla perked up, walking toward the doctor with Ronon taking her six. "Surely a few more minutes wouldn't hurt?"

Carson sighed deeply, "You lot will drive me mad yet!"

Through this discourse he kept glancing at Rodney warily, and he wasn't the only one. There was a tension in the room, palpable and chilling. The words were right, but there was something under the surface that wasn't. Even someone as socially inept as Rodney knew what it was.

"It wasn't your fault," Rodney told Carson. "I don't blame you."

Carson gazed downward. "Aye, thanks for that."

Ronon and John glanced at each other than back at Rodney, each looking sheepish. Finally it was Teyla who spoke, "We are a team and we survived as a team. I trust you. All of you."

"And so do I," Rodney added. He almost added 'You're my family,' but knew it sounded far too corny. He didn't have to say it aloud anyway, they knew.

"Me too," Ronon said.

There were general nods around the room--silent forgiveness that was greater than any that could be said aloud. The tension broke. They each smiled. Carson shifted slightly, patting Rodney's shoulder. Then he turned to the others with his mollycoddling glare. Ronon and Teyla returned to their seats, which earned a deep sigh from Carson.

"Don't think I won't kick the lot of you out of here. Ten minutes, I said. It's been thirty."

"Ten more minutes?" John asked.

"And you'll be wanting another ten after that, won't you?"

"I'm not leaving," Ronon insisted, kicking his legs up on Rodney's bed. Surprisingly, Teyla followed suit. They both crossed their arms defiantly.

Rodney leaned against the headboard, laughing to himself. It might take a little time, but Rodney knew everything would be okay. As Teyla said, they were a team, a family of friends that would travel to the ends of the universe to save one another. There was nothing that would ever take that from them, of this Rodney was certain.

**The End**


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